#that right there is why it's even better when he DOES become famous

[leverage-ot3]

I feel like there is an alignment here...

nate- does not want to be famous, does not become famous

sophie- kind of wants to be famous, does not become widely famous (exception: becoming beloved first lady of san lorenzo and gets her face on a bill). knows that becoming famous would hinder her ability to con

hardison- wants to be famous for the meme, does not become famous (though not for lack of trying)

parker- does not want to be famous, does not become famous

eliot- does NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE want to be famous, frequently becomes famous

I've seen people talk about it before on here, about how eliot is good at virtually everything and that would be tired really quick if not for the fact that he doesn't show off about it (for the most part) and VEHEMENTLY does not want to be famous or acknowledged for those skills. he very much wants to stay under the radar, which is why it is funnier and a better running gag that he keeps getting famous against his will

bonus: parker and hardison continually use whatever power they have to make eliot's aliases famous. they keep entering his various aliases in cooking shows and stuff like that because they think it is funny when he gets all huffy about it (and they know despite his moaning and groaning he likes being able to do things he's good at that doesn't involve violence!)

so i'm re-binging Leverage and is it just me or does it seem like whenever they have to be celebrities for a con none of them actually become mildly famous except for Eliot

[aebinspa]

dopamine

PAIRING: giselle x y/n reader

GENRES: suggestive, angst, reader hates giselle and they end up doing a project for school together lmao, meangirl!giselle, reader and giselle are a menace to society, jimin (aespa) and juyeon (tbz) are in a study group together and they are incredibly optimistic, mentions of sex, kiss, swearing.

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

AUTHOR'S NOTE: english is not my first language! so i’m practicing my writing hoping it can get better and better. AND stream giselle's dopamine it's so good <3

Nothing could have prepared you for the worst news of your life: you, aware that you love loneliness and hate forced contact with others, were assigned to group work with Aeri Uchinaga, famous for not contributing to any group work and for being always in the middle of too many, too many men.

After leaving a resigned sigh you approach your best friend Jimin to tell her about the unfortunate fate that struck you. "Among all and I say among all those that could happen to me, HER" "You’re tragic even if she has a bad reputation. Perhaps a woman like you who does nothing but read, read, and read will surrender and become incredibly willing!" "Funny Jimin. Who did you get?" "Juyeon and they also say that besides being incredibly beautiful he is also incredibly gifted" whispers Jimin, thinking that this could save her from the embarrassment of such a statement. "Enough, I’ve heard enough. I’m going home."

On the way back, angry and sad, you noticed a really nice coffee in which you would have wanted to stop but the change that you had in your wallet would not be enough even for half a sandwich. The puff you pulled out scared a stray cat that was stealing a piece of bread from the ground. Why does everything feel so strange to me?

The next day, as you arrived in class, you noticed Juyeon’s huge body very close to your best friend’s; you came up to check if Jimin was all right only to see that her face had a loving expression. "Good morning guys" you are starting, trying to forget what you just saw. "Hi, Jimin told me a few things about you. How nice to meet you" The two-door wardrobe that took the name of Juyeon squeezed you in a strong embrace that leaves you breathless. Men are really scary. "Hey Y/N, Giselle was looking for you earlier." "Who?" "That’s how us boys call her!" "You… guys?" "Giselle is part of my group, at least once we all go out together!" Juyeon’s enthusiasm was overwhelming but not enough to influence you. "Ah, she's going out with you."

"Y/N" What a hateful voice, not changed by a comma. You didn’t sunbathe at first; you wanted to see how much the little princess could have withstood without a bit of attention. Juyeon - this time with the help of Jimin - thought about involving her. "You might as well look me in the eye when I talk to you." "Go fuck yourself, Giselle. You sound like the 'ass-kicking' girl”. It didn’t take even half a second for you both to turn in the opposite direction. Jimin and Juyeon, moved by the situation, tried to calm things down. “How about you girls come to my house? Jimin and I have to do our project but there’s no problem if you come too. The table is big, the fridge is full and the more the merrier!” Juyeon shouted enthusiastically.

The idea of ​​being alone in an empty room with Giselle terrified you so it didn’t seem like a bad idea to accept without too many problems; the other seemed to agree too.

“Perfect! Then let’s all go to Juyeon’s this Friday afternoon!” Oh Jimin, you could have avoided this.

Unfortunately for you and Giselle, Friday arrives in the blink of an eye. Juyeon’s imposing house stood in front of you and Jimin. “Not only is he handsome and gifted, but he also has a huge house. What more can I ask for?” “You could say a little prayer for me, for example” “Giselle won’t be able to tear your hair out if Juyeon and I are there with you” Jimin smiled at you as if to reassure you. “Good thing you always see the positive side…” you replied, already tired at the idea of having to enter that house.

When you entered, Giselle was already sitting on the wicker chair in the lush garden that was attached to the house. “Girls, here you are. Jimin can you help me bring some snacks out?” Jimin didn't have to be told a second time and rushed to help the boy after sending you a flying wink. You approached Giselle and sat in the chair opposite her, to maintain some distance. It was the first time you had seen her like this. The dark hair that she always combined with clothes of the same shade was this time combined with a long white dress that made her almost ethereal; the glasses made her face prettier than the one she had always adorned only with heavy black makeup which yes suited her well but a lighter shade made it stand out even more. Maybe you found yourself staring at her too much because when your eyes met you saw a smirk of victory on the girl’s face.

“Are you admiring what you’ll never have?” “And what is this thing I’ll never have? Dignity?” “The chance to brag about how beautiful you are” “Oh, the princess of everyone’s bed spoke” “I don’t have sex with men” Giselle replied somewhat upset. “Oh, so all the things they say about you are false?” “My group of friends is made up of all gay men and one straight man” Concern for Jimin filled you for a moment and you stopped the conversation in progress. “Juyeon's not gay, right?” “As if your eyes can't see how he's hitting on your best friend, you dumbass.” "Here's all the snacks!" Your darkened and frowning faces turned abruptly towards the two newlyweds and then shouted "Shut up!" Jimin resignedly rolled her eyes.

The first half hour you and Giselle spent arguing over the theme of the PowerPoint presentation. “This is an old lady color” “This is a funeral color though Y/N!” "You love funeral colors!"

The next two hours were spent looking for information on the same topics which later turned out to be identical; cause for further argument. When Juyeon and Jimin finished their work, you were still in the first part of the project. Your best friend and the guy disappeared somewhere after two minutes; when you received a message from Jimin you found out that the two had gone to stock up on chips.

“So you hate me?” You never expected to see such a piercing look on Giselle’s face. “No, I find you annoying and everything they say around you about you seems to confirm it” “I already told you this is all fucking fake” The black-haired girl ran a hand through her hair and turned her gaze elsewhere. “People love to say everything that comes to their mind. I'm a lesbian, men don't interest me. After I refused to have sex with a guy I was paired up with for a group project, he went around telling people that I'm a terrible partner and that well… slutshaming and other not-so-nice things about me."

The silence that followed immediately afterward was extremely embarrassing for both of them. “I said a bunch of bullshit, I'm sorry. I always imagined you through gossip, even though I know that Jimin doesn’t think of you as a slacker and that Juyeon is your best friend” “Y/N” Giselle tried to butt in. “Listen Aeri, I’ll make it up to you. I don’t like you but I have to admit that despite the various arguments you’re a real looker and what you say sometimes makes me laugh so all in all, you’re not bad” Giselle laughed. “Oh my god, are these supposed to be an apology?” "My apologies" “You should make them better. No nice man would pursue such a lunatic." “I'm not interested in men. They're just accessories to me.”

Giselle only stopped laughing when you said that. “But the two boyfriends you had last year?” Without asking how she knew, you continued with your speech. “A Cover to keep my parents from realizing I’m a lesbian. Same old story. They were nice accessories at least”

The tension between the two of you was growing more and more. Giselle slowly approached you, first placing a hand on the floor where you were lying and then bringing a leg forward. “How long has it been since you kissed a woman, Y/N?” You gulped down. “How long has it been since you kissed a woman, Aeri?” Giselle was a millimeter from your lips, hand on your thigh, and hand next to yours. If only it hadn't been for the scream that Juyeon pulled open the door, something would have happened, Giselle quickly moved away and muttered “What an idiot he is” as if the house didn't belong to him to begin with.

“We’re back! Is everything okay or did you get into a fight?” A restrained, fake laugh came out of your mouth and so did the words that came out of it. “We were one step away from having ourselves by the hair” You couldn't describe the look Giselle gave you.

The next day at school, you noticed that Giselle’s desk was empty. Worried, even though you didn’t want to admit it, you asked Juyeon for the girl’s number. Juyeon couldn’t help but smile as you saved the number on your phone. You immediately texted Giselle, asking why she hadn’t come to school and threatening to break into her house through the window if she didn’t answer. To your surprise, Giselle responded a few minutes later with a raised middle finger emoji; to which you of course responded with another middle finger. The next message made you lose your mind. “Bitch, I'm waiting for you at my house. Don't break my door, please”.

As you walked towards Giselle's house, you wondered where this interest in such an annoying person had come from. Interest was a big word, but yesterday you were the one who almost threw yourself into the arms of a girl you felt like you had hated for a lifetime.

When you arrived in front of Giselle's house, you knocked so loudly that the one who looked out the window was the neighbor and not the interested girl. "Holy God, what a mess you make!" Giselle in pajamas and slippers opened the door and made you smile. “Cute pajamas” “Go shit”

You went up the stairs and arrived in the girl's room. The room, to your surprise, was pink wherever you turned to look at it. “Hello Kitty puked on it?” “Perhaps you mean My Melody” “Even the canopy bed, princess” Giselle lay down on the bed and waited for you to do the same. “Shall we finish the work?” “I’m in”

Compared to the day before, things seemed to be going better. It wasn’t just the arguments that kept the exchange of information going but also the moments where you both dedicated time to listening to each other’s opinions.

“Done! And fuck it all!” “Hopefully we get a good grade” "God Y/N who cares! It's already a miracle to have managed to finish something like this." You nodded to let the other person understand that for once you agreed on everything. You printed out the sheets with the part that each of you had to do for the presentation and then threw yourselves on the bed again, tired of everything.

“Do you find school that fun?” Giselle was the first to speak. “No, simply when I don't know what to do I start reading, reading, reading. At least that’s what Jimin says” “I can’t stand it.” “Maybe you can't stand the people who are there” “Yes, but I hate everything about that place. The desks, the air that makes me uglier, the men, the homework, and group studies" You thought a few more seconds before answering her and, taking a deep breath, you turned towards her. "I can make you change your mind" “You can try but I don't know how well it works” “There's me and Jimin in the class. Then we can study together and everything will seem fun!” “See… You like school” Giselle's face darkened. “I enjoy being with Jimin. There's also Juyeon! And well… I'm here." Giselle turned away and didn't speak to you anymore.

A day went by and Giselle never replied to your messages. That morning you were supposed to present the group project. Not only had she stopped responding to the messages you were sending her under the desk, but she was also late for the presentation. A terrible thought passes through your mind. Did she stay home? She knows that the teacher gives a failing grade when something like that happens.

Jimin and Juyeon brilliantly finished their presentation and the applause, luckily for you since you were supposed to present later, lasted for two minutes. “Y/N and Giselle are next. However, I see that one of the two is missing. I will have to give you a good-” The classroom door suddenly burst open and all the eyes of your classmates and yours moved from the teacher to the figure of Giselle, who noisily began with a “Teacher, Y/N and I are ready to present!” A small smile appeared on your face.

Fortunately, the presentation given by you and Giselle surprised the class and the teacher who seemed to have very low expectations. During the break, you grabbed Giselle by the arm and led her to a secluded space. It was she who spoke first. "Excuse" “Don't be sorry, strangely everything went well” A silly bit of tongue from Giselle made you grin. “It went better than expected, yes.” You nodded. That silence that now characterized your relationship was starting to be too heavy to bear. Giselle came close to your face. “Teach me what having fun at school means, you little bitch,” she began while doing nothing but staring at your lips. "I know a better way to have fun." It was your hand that brought your bodies together and united them. Within seconds, Giselle approached your lips and began to kiss you without fear of being seen. Your tongues and legs intertwined as the kiss became more wet and passionate. You were the first to break away from the kiss, leaving you breathless. “We're going a little too fast” “We're just reversing the lessons a little bit. I kissed you first so you can teach me all that bullshit about how great school is." “And what happens after I teach you everything you need to know about school?” The bell announced the end of the break. “Well, after that I can see if I trust you and if we can go further.” "So kiss, school, sex, and only if these three work can we be together?" A loud laugh escaped your lips and Giselle without answering began to head towards your classroom.

“You know Y/N, maybe my plan could work” “There’s never been a plan that I couldn’t make work” The look you exchanged sealed a long and lasting agreement between the two of you.

[mariclerc]

Pretty like a flower | cl16

Summary: where some social media comments open up old insecurities in you.

Warnings: fluff, sad reader, reassuring Charles, social media hate.

Dating Charles is a totally fantastic experience, on one hand you love traveling the world with him and having little memories together, or just spend a quiet day at home away from your jobs. But at the same time, there are bad things, such as the lack of privacy because there are super nosy people who are not the fans, people that think they can take pictures of you every now and then and the fans themselves like to talk too much, especially about you...

The way you met Charles was the sweetest and cutest way of all, you were working at a local flower shop and he came in to get some flowers to take to his mom to decorate her hair salon — a pretty sweet gesture in your opinion, so between some babbling and shy glances at the handsome man, you helped him get the right flowers for his mother. And so the days went by, every week he went to the flower shop to get flowers for his mother and he always asked for help from the shy girl who spent her time making beautiful flower arrangements. You had no idea who he was, partly you did know who he was since Monaco is very small, but you only knew that he was a famous race car driver and that was it.

When you started dating everything was super good, normally you don't upload many things to social media since you like to keep everything private, you only uploaded some of your flower arrangements to your Instagram and other cute little things. Fans started comparing you to their ex-girlfriends, especially Alex since they had a massive break up last year, they said that you posted the same things as her on Instagram and that you were copying her, or they even said that you were soon going to do like her and become an influencer and that you only wanted him for the fame and money he could give you. And honestly, you don't think that way, you really love Charles with all your heart, he is someone so precious and wonderful to you, and you know that he loves you with all his heart.

Right now you are in your shared apartment alone, reading comments made on a gossip page about a paparazzi photo taken of you and Charles on the beach last weekend, the comments are mixed but there is one constant: all the comments are about how your body looks... Most people say: "aww, she looks so basic, Alex looked way better than her!", "I don't know what Charles saw in her, she's nothing special." "Look at her, she has no butt or boobies, she's just a board!" And the list of comments goes on and on.

“Not this again... Why do they always have to criticize what I wear or how I look? I'm just living my life with the man I love...” you sighed and you walked through the closet, looking at some of your clothes. “My favorite clothes doesn't even fit anymore, they all feel wrong.” you looked with watery eyes at your reflection in the mirror, you're wearing a mismatched lingerie, tugging your little tummy roll and small bust. “I know I'm not a model... But does everything really have to be picked apart?” you say as you look down at your short legs and big thighs with slight hair growth, even the most normal and natural thing in the world seems totally imperfect to you.

You were so focused on your inner monologue that you didn't hear that Charles has opened the door.

“Darling, I'm home! Where are you, mon cœur?” he says calling you out (my heart)

You called back with a shaky voice. “I-I'm in the bedroom...”

He enters the room and sees you crying in your mismatched lingerie, concern washing over his face. “Oh no. What's wrong, my love? Come here, talk to me.” he gathers you gently into his arms.

You sobbed into his chest. “I'm... I'm sorry Charlie, I know I'm being silly but I just feel so insecure about myself lately. All these comments talking about my body, and comparing me with one of your ex's, saying I'm not pretty enough to be with you.” you whispered with trembling voice. “Even my own clothes don't feel right on me anymore... I guess I started wondering if you only settled for me because of my boring looks and body.” you finished, emptying all your thoughts.

Charles held you while he gently caressed your hair, he knew that those comments were going to explode in you at some point, from the beginning you were always honest with him about your insecurities about yourself, something that perhaps was not so present in you before, but now — and thanks to the comments, has resurfaced again.

“Shh, don't say that stuff princess. You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me, inside and out... Those people don't know us or how much we care for each other, all that matters is how you see yourself, and how I see you.” he wipes one of your tears.

You looked up at him. “But... What do you see in me? I'm not sexy and thin like models or I don't have a perfect tan like your ex... I have small boobs, big and hairy thighs and I have a tummy...” you were going to continue, but he subtly stops you.

“Stop that talk right now. You are beautiful and sexy to me in every way, I love every single inch of your gorgeous body - your mesmerizing eyes, your cute little button nose, your adorable smile. Your tummy? Is where I like to put my hand and stroke its softness when we're sleeping or taking a nap, your boobs are perfect for me, as is every soft curve.” he smiled shyly while blushing. “You're my ideal of beauty and I'm the luckiest man alive because your heart chose me... And I'm so in love with you and all of those little things that make you so unique.”

You sniffle a bit, starting to feel a little bit better. “Really? You truly think I'm beautiful just the way I am?” you asked softly.

“Oh, you're more than beautiful! You're a fiery, intelligent, compassionate queen and I fall deeper in love with you every day. The judgements of strangers mean nothing when I have your love... You are as precious and delicate as a flower, you know, blooming and growing under my touch.” he kisses your forehead and you blushed so much thanks to his words. “So dry those silly tears, mon amour, and let me show you how much you turn me on just by being yourself.” he kisses you tenderly. (my love)

You feel his words washing over you, because he's right, you should feel good in your own body and no matter how much you say you don't look good or whatever, he doesn't care because he loves you whether you've changed your style or not, because he's totally in love with you.

You kiss him back softly while your hands rest gently on his chest. “I love you so much Charlie! Thank you for always making me feel like the most special girl.”

He smiles. “You are very special to me, my darling. Never forget your worth, okay?”

As Charles gazed at you with heartfelt adoration, you suddenly became conscious of your state of dress and you blushed.

“I, um... I'm not exactly matching or covered right now... sorry.” you mumbled shyly, crossing your arms over your chest.

Charles gently took your hands, uncrossing them so he could place tender kisses to your knuckles. “You have nothing to be self-conscious about, mon amour. Please don't feel shy with me.” you bite your lip, still hesitant. Chuckling softly, Charles hooked a finger under your chin to lift your gaze to his. “You could be wearing a trash bag and still be the most beautiful sight to me... But, since you're so worried right now...”

Reaching behind himself, he swiftly pulled his shirt over his head in one smooth motion. You gazed at him, momentarily distracted by his perfectly sculpted bare torso.

Charles winked playfully. “There we go, now we match. Feel better?” His boyish grin made you giggle, easing some of the tension.

“Much.” you whispered softly, poking his ribs. His breathless chuckle sent flutters through your spine.

He looks at your figure with adoration. “Pink is definitely your color, but you know how do you look way better?” he asked and you shake your head. “Wearing nothing at all...” he whispered and you blushed so much at his teasing.

Slowly, your shy insecurities began melting away under his tender and caring gaze.

Charles' hands found your waist, rubbing soothing circles over the skin. “You take my breath away every time I look at you, ma chérie. So soft, feminine, sexy and all mine.” (my darling)

Leaning in, he gently nuzzled your neck, trailing light kisses that had you sighing. “Please don't ever think you're not gorgeous, because I ache to worship every single inch of you.”

His husky words and touch ignited a longing deep within you. Threading your fingers through his hair, you pressed closer, relinquishing all shyness. Your eyes met, full of smoldering desire and promise of pleasurable distraction ahead.

Your lips met in a searing kiss as strong arms lifted you, carrying you to your shared bed where all that mattered was exploring each other in a sweet and gentle intimacy. Confident in his adoration, nothing could dim your light when you're in his loving embrace.

***

A few days had passed since Charles lovingly boosted your confidence and you were starting to feel more comfortable in your own skin again as you two planned to have a relaxing Saturday at home.

That afternoon, you tidied up around the apartment while clad in just mismatched lingerie and one of Charles' oversized shirts while he was doing some errands and buying some groceries. Lost in your house tasks, you hasn't heard the front door open.

“Darling, I'm ba-” Charles started to call out before stopping short at the sight before him, you froze as well, your face flushing under his admiring gaze. His eyes slowly roamed your figure, heated with desire and appreciation for you. “Oh, mon dieu, you take my breath away, baby.” he uttered softly. (my god)

Striding over, Charles pinned you gently against the counter with his taller form and you gazed up at him shyly through your lashes. “H-Hello...” you say softly.

Charles caressed your cheek smoothly, smiling down at you with heartstopping tenderness.

“Look at you petite fleur, so radiantly beautiful in just this... I feel like the luckiest man alive.” he smiles and leans in, he began feathering kisses along your neck that had you melting. “I knew that wicked outfit served another purpose beyond laundry day.” you giggled. (little flower)

His words, coupled with how reverently his hands roamed your curves, sent desire pooling low. All traces of shyness evaporated under his loving worship.

“How do you do that?” you breathed, tangling your fingers in his hair to hold him close. “You know... Make me feel like the most special woman alive?”

Charles met your eyes intensely. “Because to me, that is what you are - my queen, my everything. And I will spend every day showing you just how much you mean to me.”

Pulling you flush against him, you two kissed deeply and slowly, savoring each sensation. In his passionate embrace, you knew no other place you belonged more than by his side, in the spotlight of his beautiful devotion.

Charles' tender words and loving gaze never failed to make you blush like a schoolgirl. You shyly ducked your head against his chest, overwhelmed by the passion and devotion in his eyes.

“You always say the nicest things.” you mumbled shyly, playing with the hem of his shirt. His affection still caught you off guard at times, even after all this time together.

Charles lifted your chin, thumbs gently brushing over your flushed cheeks. “And I mean every single little word, ma chérie.” (my darling)

He leaned down, capturing your lips in a sweet kiss that had you melting. Pulling back slightly, your foreheads remained pressed together as Charles simply gazed at you with endless tenderness.

“How is it that after all this time, you continue to take my breath away?” he breathed, caressing your cheek softly.

You just shrugged, embarrassed. “I don't know, I'm just me...”

“Exactly!” Charles smiled. “You're you - compassionate, beautiful, sweet, and so strong. I fall more in love with you every second of every day... You deserve to see yourself the way I see you.”

His honeyed words had you fighting back happy tears. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you clinged to Charles in a tight embrace, overwhelmed by the depths of his love and care.

He held you just as close, gently rubbing your back and peppering your hair with tender kisses. “I love you so much, mon coeur. Never forget how amazing and cherished you are to me.” (my heart)

Suddenly you pulled him close to you again, you kissed him languidly, pouring every ounce of gratitude and affection into the intimate gesture.

Charles responded in kind, holding you reverently against his body. Lost in each other, you two became so enraptured that the rest of the world seemed to fade away.

All too soon, oxygen became a necessity. Breathless and flushed, you rested your foreheads together, smiling softly at one another.

You whispered. “I could stay like this forever in your arms.” you sighed contentedly and Charles nuzzled your cheek sweetly.

He smiled. “Well, then let us make a life filled with these kinds of moments, mon bébé.” he declared with quiet conviction. (my baby)

Your breath caught at the promise in his tone. Gazing deep into his eyes, you saw your future stretching ahead - a future of partnership, passion and being cherished each and every day by this beautiful soul.

Overcome, you pulled him once again into an embrace, clinging tightly as happy tears welled. In that perfect moment, all felt right in your own world wrapped in love's sheltering wings.

In the solace and security of his embrace, he slowly but surely continued renewing your self esteem each and every day. You truly feel like the luckiest girl to receive such devoted affection from your soulmate.

[callmeagardengnome]

˚ʚ in my head ɞ˚ | CHOI JONGHO

pairings ᯓ idol!jongho x music producer!bartender! fem!reader

genre ᯓ soulmate au, one-shot

synopsis ᯓ music producer in the day, bartender by night, you never had time to find your soulmate. little did you know that he happened to be the cute guy at the bar - and the one you hear singing falsettos in your head.

w.c ᯓ 2.9k

c.w ᯓ alcohol

author’s note: yes i got creative with this

not proofread!

masterlist

“cheers!”

the sounds of glasses clinking and beer chugging filled the bar as the night grew.

the bar wasn’t famous by any means - it was tucked away in a quiet corner where most people wouldn’t notice. yet, there were plenty of regulars that kept business going.

to you, nights at the bar were an escape. you had another job as a music producer - making beats for different artists and getting your tracks to play on the radio.

even though you were well-respected in the industry, no one knew your face. it wasn’t on purpose at first, but after a while, you didn’t see the point in revealing it. you could work on music while living a normal life, away from the paparazzi.

just as you were putting away the bottles, you heard a clear voice singing in your head - one that you’ve been hearing for a long time.

when you were young, around 8 or 9, you were alone at home when a voice suddenly broke the silence.

you tried to cover your ears as a boy sang shaky notes and an off-putting melody, but nothing you did drowned out the random voice you heard. obviously freaked out, you told your parents about it.

“honey that’s you’re soulmark.. you can hear you soulmate’s voice whenever they sing.”

night after night, you heard him singing as you tried to go to sleep. you must have gotten a theatre kid with the amount of hours he would sing - albeit bad most of the time.

but sometimes, you catch yourself humming along with his singing.

after a while.. he got better. when you were in high school, your soulmate continued to work on his singing and actually improved, which made you quite happy.

you started to make chips for the people at the back of the bar, his warm voice echoing in your head. the voice you heard now was clear, polished, emotional, velvety - almost like honey. it completely different than the one that you heard as a kid.

you wondered where he was, what he was doing right now. why does he train his voice so much? is he a singer? does he know how good he sounds? does he know that you exist?

you pushed these questions away, not wanting to get into another spiral. you focused on your job, listening to his voice instead of popping in earbuds.

˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆｡☆ ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆˚ʚɞ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

the first time jongho heard your voice, he was stunned.

the idol had always been interested in singing, even before discovering his soulmark. from his childhood to his teenage years, he spent hours in his room, working on his singing and trying to get over the awkward, scratchy phase of his voice.

he remembered being in his room, late at night, when he suddenly heard a voice - a girl’s voice, humming softly out of nowhere.

initially, he thought that it was his imagination, or a sound that was coming from the TV. but after a while, the humming was in-sync with the song that he was singing.

he found out about the soulmark, and over time, jongho looked forward to your voice - even feeling sad even he hadn’t heard it in a while.

years later, he made it - he debuted with ATEEZ, becoming a successful idol with a fanbase. he finally got the job that he’s been wanting for so long.

despite the wins, he’s constantly thinking about you.

you may not know it, but your voice is actually good. even though you’ve never went for professional vocal lessons, jongho found your voice to be unique, smooth - he would actually consider singing a duet with you.

your voice became something that grounded him, something that gave him comfort when he was stressed.

and tonight, it was especially stressful. he had just finished a long day of rehearsal and recordings. not only, he hadn’t had an actual break in ages - he needed a place where he could sit down and relax, away from the cameras and microphones.

jongho put on his mask and cap, stepping out onto the street. he wandered about, until he found himself in front of a bar he’s never seen before. he was about to walk away until he heard the sounds of laughter that made him drag his feet back to the door.

he stepped into the bar, feeling the cozy surroundings wrapping him up like a blanket.

it was completely different than the studio he was at before hand. no bright lights, no loud music - exactly what he needed.

he suddenly felt a weird pull towards the bar counter. confused, he looked around, checking out the people in the place before his eyes landed on you.

you were behind the bar, wiping down a glass. “she’s pretty..” a thought echoed in his mind before he brushed it away.

jongho didn’t realise it yet, but your souls were wanting to reach for each other. he made his way to the bar counter and sat down in front of you.

you looked up, offering a warm smile. “hi, what can I get for you?” you asked, your voice smooth and sweet, something that he wasn’t expecting.

he glanced at the bottles behind you, before saying, “soju, please,” as he took out cash and putting it on the counter.

you nodded, retrieving a bottle of soju along with a shot glass. “here you go,” you said, placing it in front of him.

to your surprise, he didn’t ask for a bottle opener. instead, he opened the bottle with a spoon lying around on the counter. he then pulled down his mask and started to take a long swig of the soju, directly from the bottle.

jongho paused mid-chug, noticing your shocked expression. he set the bottle on the counter, wiping his mouth.

“sorry, it’s been a long day,” he admitted along with an awkward laugh.

you bit back a smile as you saw how nervous he was. “hey, i’m not judging. this is a bar,” you chuckled, collecting his money and putting it in the register.

from the corner of your eye, you watched as he nodded and continued to drink, more relaxed than earlier.

“you don’t have to, but if you want to talk about it, i’m all ears,” you mentioned, trying to gauge his reaction before you continued.

“i’m basically an unlicensed therapist to anyone that comes into this bar,” you joked, trying to lighten the mood.

jongho looked at you in surprise, not expecting the offer. he hesitated - should he open up? guessing by your lack of reaction to his face, he knew that you weren’t a kpop fan or at least you didn’t know who ATEEZ was. it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it..

he took another long chug of the soju before speaking. “there’s been.. a lot of things happening,” he sighed, his voice quieter. “work is stressing me out.”

you nodded, leaning against the counter as you listened. “yikes, i can only imagine,” you said, encouraging him to continue. “sounds like you got a lot on your plate”

“you can say that,” he replied, looking down at the empty soju bottle. “it just feels like time is moving too fast and i can’t catch a break. i mean- i can’t even remember the last time i slept properly.”

you studied him closely, seeing how his shoulders slumped down as he spoke. you reached out and patted his shoulder. “that’s a tough spot to be in,” you sighed, knowing where he was coming from.

“but at least you’re here now, right? relax a little, let yourself breathe- or even drink another bottle if you’d like,” you grinned.

jongho looked up, meeting your gaze properly for the first time since he sat down. it was strange, he didn’t even know you - he didn’t even know your name. yet, here he was feeling.. comfortable? safe? he wasn’t sure.

“thanks..” he mumbled out, his voice soft. “i didn’t think i would be talking about this tonight. looks like i needed it though.”

you gave a small laugh before taking his empty bottle away. “i’m more than happy to listen.”

“really?” he asked as you threw away the bottle, a small but genuine smile tugging on his lips.

“of course,” you snorted. “seriously, i’m here most nights so don’t be shy and come here more. there’s gonna be a bottle of soju waiting for you.”

he chuckled, “i might take you up on that.”

˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆｡☆ ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆˚ʚɞ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

over the next few weeks, jongho found himself returning to bar whenever he could. he’d come late after rehearsals or performances, trying his best to talk to you as much as possible.

you noticed his visits becoming more frequent, but you didn’t mind. in fact, his presence made it easier to get through your shift - especially with the chats you both had.

“how long have you been bartending for?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“about.. two years? maybe three?” you furrowed your eyebrows, trying to think back to when you first started. “i only started because my other job isn’t stable.”

“other job?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow. “what’s your other job?”

you grinned, putting a finger on your lips. “it’s a secret.”

one night, jongho walked into the bar, his eyes landing on you. smiling, he went straight to the same spot at the counter like he did every time.

“hey,” you greeted, already reaching for a soju bottle to place in front of him.

but before you could set it down, jongho’s hand stopped you. “actually-“ he began. “i want to try something different tonight.”

“really?” you asked in surprise. “what do you want to try?”

“what’s your favourite drink?” he asked, leaning closer to you.

your lips curled into a smile. “my favourite?” you echoed. you started to move over to a few bottles and started to prepare the drink. “it’s pretty strong, but not overbearing.”

jongho nodded, his eyes not leaving yours. “i trust you.”

every time jongho came over to the bar, you couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your chest. you felt guilty - after all, you had a soulmate out there. hearing his melodic voice singing when you reach home didn’t help either. you had a soulmate out there, waiting for you to find him while you were fawning over another guy at the bar.

you convinced yourself that he was just a normal friend - ignoring the long gazes he would send your way, his laugh that made you feel butterflies and the compliments he would give that made your heart skip a beat.

and jongho would feel the same way too. each time he went into the bar, it wasn’t just for the drinks, or the atmosphere. it was for you. he couldn’t deny the way you pulled him in, the way that you made him want to know more about you, and the way you smiled whenever you looked at him.

yet, he stopped himself from being so attached to you. he would still hear the singing of the girl sometimes, the soft voice reminding him that his soulmate was out there. it didn’t matter how he felt about you - he knew that he had to see you as a friend, as hard as that would be.

˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆｡☆ ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ⋆˚ʚɞ ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

the soft music in the background of your living room played as you set two mugs on the coffee table.

it was weird having jongho in your apartment.

it had been about 5 months since you’ve known each other, yet it feels like longer. the two of you only recently started to hang out at your apartment, with jongho saying that he finally had a ‘break’ from his job. the two of you got closer and closer, talking about random things that popped up in your mind.

“oh- and by the way, i’m an idol,” he said casually, scrolling on his phone.

“WHAT?”

“yeah you should check my group out sometime.”

while you told yourself to look into ATEEZ, there would always be things that would push you away. every time you were about to search ATEEZ in youtube, your manager would call you in for an extra shift, or you would have to go for a meeting with other artists about the track you sent them. it was almost as if there was something preventing you from watching him.

jongho leaned back into your couch, more relaxed than you’ve ever seen at the bar. “hey, where’s your bathroom again?”

you gave him a look before replying, “you go down that corridor and go to the door on the left.”

nodding, he put his phone away and walked away in that direction. suddenly, you heard a gasp coming from him.

“what?” you shouted, concerned.

“‘___’,” he said, eyes wide. “do you make music?”

you froze for a second before running over to him. the door he opened led straight to your home-studio, where your computer, your guitar, your keyboard - anything and everything music related was.

jongho entered looking at the shelves. he noticed that there were a plethora of albums and records from a famous producer, one that he recognised.

“is.. is this you?” he said, pointing to the album.

you hesitated, but decided to rip off the bandaid. “yeah-“ you admitted, avoiding his gaze for a moment. “sorry i didn’t tell you- i didn’t want to make it a big deal..” you said as you walked towards him.

jongho’s eyes softened, letting out a small laugh as he held your record. “hey, i’m not mad.”

“if anything i’m impressed,” he continued, studying the room. “i mean- i’m friends with one of the most popular and talented producers. how lucky am i?”

you smiled, feeling a blush creeping up on your cheeks. “you’re literally an idol, what are you talking about?”

the both of you started to talk about music, the conversation flowing even more than it did before. you moved around the room, showing him the different instruments and equipment you had, with him asking more and more about your job.

you could feel his excitement as your nerves faded away. “since you’re here..” you began, clicking the mouse on your computer. “do you want to hear a demo i’ve been working on?”

his eyes lit up as he nodded. “absolutely.”

“i haven’t recorded the vocals for this so i have to do it live-“ you clicked through your files and finally found the one you were looking for. “-so please ignore how dogshit my voice sounds.”

“it’s probably not bad,” he chuckled. “let’s hear it.”

your voice filled the room and you focused on the music, the rhythm and the lyrics, not wanting to mess up.

meanwhile, jongho was trying his best to not to combust with joy. at first, he was confused, trying to figure out why you sounded so familiar. the melody, the lyrics, the sweetness of your voice - it all fell into place. you sounded exactly the same as his soulmate.

you were his soulmate all along. you were the one he’s been hearing since childhood. you were the beautiful voice that he’s been trying to find the identity of.

jongho immediately grabbed a nearby microphone and started to sing along to the demo with you.

you voices intertwined seamlessly, perfectly even - like they were meant to be.

you’re eyes widened at his voice. you knew it, really well. you finally found the owner of the honey-like voice you’ve been hearing - the guy at the bar that you’ve been friends with.

for a moment, the both of you got lost in the music, blending your voices together, creating something magical and intimate.

when the final notes of the demo faded, the room was filled with a silence. jongho set his microphone down, his eyes never leaving yours, searching for a reaction.

“you..” you trailed off, not knowing how to begin. “you’re my soulmate..?”

“i never thought that my soulmate was right next to me,” he said moving himself closer to you. “hearing your voice in person instead of my head is.. incredible.”

“wha- you’re incredible,” you breathed out. “have you heard your voice?”

he chuckled, feeling himself get flustered over the compliment. “it sounds better with you,” he said reaching for your hand.

the both of you stared into each other’s eyes, unable to look away. you could hear your heart pumping, and the only thing you could feel was his soft hand on yours.

“i can’t believe it’s you,” you said softly.

jongho nodded, knowing exactly how you feel. “it almost feels like a dream- i’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. and now, it’s even more perfect than i imagined.”

he closed the gap between the two of you slowly, whispering a gentle, “may i?”.

you gave a soft ‘yes’ as he pulled you to him.

his lips brushed against yours, a feather-light touch that made your breath catch. the kiss was careful, as if he was savouring it. but soon enough, the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate.

then, something happened. soft music started to play in the background, echoing the rhythm of your kiss. the music seemed to harmonise around you, matching the emotions the both of you were feeling.

when you finally pulled away, the both of you were breathless and slightly flushed, your foreheads touching. the music slowly faded and jongho’s eyes were filled with a loving gaze.

“that was.. amazing,” he said, his voice low.

you smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek. “mhm.”

jongho tucked a piece of hair behind your ear as he muttered, “i can’t wait to begin our love song.”

any and all feedback appreciated <3

AAA im done with this series! im so happy and sad at the same time cuz i love soulmate aus and making them but at the same time, this series has to end sometime 🙁 hopefully i come up with shit as creative as this in the future, but for now i wanna thank you guys for reading and supporting me! i truly appreciate all you that read this and it makes my day to see how much yall enjoy it! BLESS YALL

other fics

series taglist [OPEN] - @jiwoongsblondehair @hwasbabygirl @chngbnwf @passerbyforfun @butterfliesinthesky @ismelllikechlorine247 @pansexual-and-eating-pancakes @forever-atiny @arki-sha @la-undercover-latina

[blushweddinggowns]

Part 2

He has no right to be here.

He knows that.

He does.

Eddie watches as people pile into the church, all of them dressed to the nines. It's a Harrington affair through and through, and the sight of all these people that he knows Steve hates makes him feel sicker than he already is.

If he wasn't on the edge of crying he would have laughed at himself, like he had any right to judge anyone here. He's the one who dumped Steve. Perfect, wonderful, lovely Steve who just needed a few more years. He just needed to make sure the kids were safe until they graduated. But Eddie couldn't do it. He needed to leave, and Steve needed to stay.

So he ended it. Just like that. He ended it.

He hasn't seen him for three years. By all appearances, it was a good choice, the best thing he could have done for himself. Because against all fucking odds Eddie Munson ends up as a success. He's a star, a famous musician discovered in a shitty little bar. He somehow managed to actually live the dream he used to fantasize about.

He lives it up. He parties, he drinks, he fucks, he spends his early twenties being young and dumb like he always wanted.

And it's horrible. It's so horrible that it becomes hilarious to him. Because he knows why it's so bad. Of course he knows. But it's better this way, really. Because Steve deserved better than him anyway. He deserved someone he didn't run away, full of flimsy excuses of wanting to be out of the shitty town that made him. When the truth was he was scared. He was terrified about how much he loved him. Because what was he going to do when the day came when Steve realized he could do better?

Eddie wouldn't have been able to surivie it. So he left instead. Like the coward he was. He left so he could be miserable and famous but at least Steve could finally find someone who deserved him.

So it really was all for the best. That's what he tells himself, because if he doesn't he'd go insane wondering about what could have been. He has himself convinced that he made the right choice. Maybe not for himself, but at least for Steve.

He doesn't realize how bullshit all of that was until Dustin lets it slip. They're doing the normal routine. Dustin visits, Eddie spoils the shit out of him, and on the last day he asks about Steve. He always tries to keep it casual. Tries to never let his desperation to know what's happening shine through. But it always does, bad enough that Dustin can't help the pity in his eyes when he tells him.

Steve's getting married.

Eddie wasn't aware just how much words could hurt him until that moment. He'd been called every bad name under the sun, a queer, a freak, a fag, you name it and it's been said. But this is the first time someone else's words make him feel like he's dying.

He wasn't invited to the wedding. Why would he be? But he still found it. Because he's a glutton for self-punishment. He hadn't seen Steve for three fucking years, and he chooses to wait till his wedding day?

But it's too late for regret, he's already here. His eyes keep scanning the room, just waiting for him to show up. He probably looks like a creep, dressed in all black and fucking sunglasses, sitting right by the door. He's basically in a fucking disguise, mostly to stop Robin from finding him and kicking his ass.

Speaking of, his eyes widen at the sight of her. She's slipping out of a door to the side, quickly wiping at her eyes before joining the crowd of people. His eyes drift back to the door.

Eddie's on his feet before he knows what he's doing. It's stupid, maybe the stupidest thing he's ever done, but where Robin is, Steve is sure to follow.

And he's right. It leads to a small dressing room. And there he is. Just like that Eddie's in front of the only man he'll ever love. Or at least, behind him. They were alone, and Steve hadn't even noticed him yet, too busy adjusting his hair in the mirror.

He still has time to leave. Besides, he didn't come here to ruin everything. He didn't, really.

But he doesn't turn around. Instead, Eddie locks the door behind him. He takes off his stupid sunglasses and clears his throat to speak, but is immediately rendered speechless when Steve turns to look at him.

He's just as gorgeous as he remembered.

His eyes widened at the sight of him, mouth opening and closing like he can't quite believe what he's seeing. Why would he? Eddie never reached out. He ignored the times that Steve did, always too ashamed of himself to face his own mistakes.

Eddie always expected Steve to lash out when he saw him, if he saw him. Lord knows he deserved it. But he doesn't. He just looks...sad. And those basset hound eyes are almost enough to bring Eddie to tears himself.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked, voice quiet.

Eddie hadn't actually prepared anything to say. His plan was to watch the love of his life marry someone else than drink himself into a stupor at his hotel. He...he hadn't expected to end up here. But there are a million things he wants to say to him.

I'm here to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a coward. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough and I made it your problem. I haven't stopped thinking about you. Ever. There hasn't been a day that goes by when I don't regret leaving. And I thought, maybe, just maybe if I saw you move on with my own eyes I could let you go.

But none of that is what comes out of his mouth.

"Run away with me."

If Steve didn't look shocked to see him before he sure did now, "W-What?"

"Run away with me," He repeats. Because it's what he wants. It's what he needs. It's been three years of hell without him and Eddie can't do it anymore. He can't.

He hates that he's the cause of the tears springing up in Steve's eyes, but he can't take it back. He won't.

Steve looks away, eyes trained on the floor, "You can't do this to me Eddie. You can't."

But he is.

Eddie's made his choice. He was a fool to think he was capable of coming here without trying to steal him away. Of course this is where he'd end up. And he'll say anything to get him back. He doesn't care that he's too late. He doesn't care that this whole thing makes him a bigger piece of shit than he already was.

He'll be underhanded, he'll be dirty, he'll do anything to get Steve to leave with him, he doesn't fucking care. Because Steve Harrington is not going to get married today.

He waltzes right up to him. He grabs his chin and forces him to meet his eyes. He probably looks crazy, he feels crazy, "You don't love her like you love me."

He's never met her. He doesn't need to. The way Steve freezes up is all he needs to know that he's right.

He doesn't deny it, but he deflects, "Why are you doing this? You left me. Did you forget that part? I didn't end it. You did! A-And now what? We're just going to ride off into the sunset together? Like you weren't the one to just cut me out of your life-"

"Yes," Eddie interrupts. He feels calm, eerily so as he speaks, "We're riding off into the sunset together. Even though I don't deserve it. I never deserved you. And I was so fucking scared of when you would realize that. I let it eat away at me. So I left. Before you could do it to me. And I was wrong."

"Stop," Steve tries to step back, but Eddie won't let him. He wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him close.

He can't stop talking, even if he wanted to, "I was so wrong Steve. And I've been miserable ever since. Because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'll never stop thinking about you. Even if you tell me to go to hell and get hitched I'll just wait for a divorce. Because you are the only one for me. And it took me too long to say that out loud. And I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry Stevie."

Steve weakly tried to push him away, but his heart wasn't in it, "Please stop."

But he can't, "I love you."

Steve's eyes are closed, a futile attempt to keep the tears at bay, but his voice comes out strong, "Eddie, I-I can't do this again. I can't. If you left me again I...I just can't."

Eddie can't help but wipe a few of the tears away for him, "Angel, look at me."

He waits for Steve to open his eyes. He looks so fucking beautiful that it hurts, especially since this may really be the last time he sees him again.

But he has one more trick up his sleeve, "Tell me you're not mine and I'll leave."

"W-what?"

"Tell me you're not mine. Say the words out loud and I'll let you go."

Steve stares at him. He's mad, beyond pissed that Eddie has the audacity to throw that in his face, but he's desperate. It was the last thing he said to him, murmured through the driver's side window of the van, seconds before he drove away.

I'm still yours, even if you don't want me anymore.

Eddie had cried the entire ride there after hearing that. And then a few days after for good measure. And here he is, completely ruthless at what he's willing to pull out, "You're mine Steve. You know you're mine."

It's such a fucked up thing to say, but it's true. But it's not the whole truth, "And I'm yours. I've always been yours. Tell me that's not true and I'll leave."

But Steve can't. He can't do it, just like Eddie had known he wouldn't. But what he hadn't expected was for him to surge up and kiss him.

It feels like he fell in love all over again, just from one simple kiss. Because it felt like magic was real and it decided to take on the form of Steve Harrington's lips. It was everything he had missed. Everything he had dreamed about. Eddie tangled a hand into his hair, helpless to do anything but kiss him back, harder and deeper. He wanted to be burned into Steve's memory for all eternity. He wanted him to always remember the moment that they came back to each other.

Because that's what this is. Eddie's certain, Steve was his, and he would never let him go again.

They only stop when there is a knock at the door, a muffled question asked that they can't hear over the sounds of their own breathing. It's enough to have them pulling away from each other, but they ignore it nonetheless.

Steve searches his face, one last test. Eddie can only guess how he looks right now, probably just as desperate and terribly hopeful as he felt. Whatever he's looking for, he finds it eventually.

Steve sighs, glancing toward the back of the room, "There's a window we can probably fit through. Because I'm sure as hell not going out there."

Now it's Eddie's turn to cry. Despite all of his confidence, the certainty that they were supposed to be together, he hadn't really expected it to work. But here they were, giggling with each other as they scurried out of a first-floor window, making a run for Eddie's car.

Eddie can't help but kiss him again before they get in, muttering against his mouth, "I love you so fucking much Stevie. I'm not going to fuck this up again. You won't regret it, I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you don't."

Steve grinned into the kiss, "You better."

There was still so much to talk about. Too much. And they'll fight and they'll scream and everything will get worse before it gets better. And Eddie's so fucking grateful to get the chance.

And for the first time in three years, he feels alive again.

[smth-intheway]

I haven't seen anyone talk about it, or maybe someone noticed but didn't said anything...

Neil and Charlie are connected, not only by the bonds of friendship but also by their shared symbolism of “death”, which is shown at the very end of the movie/book when their seats were empty. They are both key characters and as those who, despite their differences, are very similar.

Let's start with Neil. We all know that Neil is the one who started the dead poets society in 1959, he is the speaker and the leader of the group, as if leading the boys. He is the first to find the album with Keating's photo in it, the first to learn what the society is (yeah boys were near him), the first to read the official opening speech and assign roles to everyone. Who will read and who won’t. He acts as a confident person, his actions are based on a new feeling and finding freedom from the grip of his father. Everyone noticed how he looked at Keating when he gave his famous speech that every person in this fandom knows?

Yes, you can't help but notice how his eyes shine with hope, that he like a prisoner, will free himself from the shackles and escape from the clutches of his father. By the way, about his dad.

This man plays a very important role in Neil's life, as he does in his, albeit in the most disgusting way. His father sees himself in him only in his youth, he wants to achieve what he could not in the past. He uses Neil to turn back the time and become an ideal version of himself without caring what Neil thinks. Most likely, Mr. Perry was an unsuccessful person and perhaps he did not succeed in many things, proving this with the following phrases: "I sacrificed so much for you to be here" and "you have opportunities that I don’t had” He kind of puts pressure on Neil shoulders to give him false motivation to do things as he said, setting himself as an example, like... if you don’t do as I say, then the worst will happen to you, because I know better than you and I have lived longer than you. His father makes his son a submissive and obedient boy who is obliged to do and act as he is told, simply because he has no choice, because he is inexperienced and "impressionable" in the opinion of his father and he must definitely listen to the one who knows better in order to avoid the worst outcome. Just lower your head and show obedience like everyone else.

By the way, it is interesting that in the book the first description of Neil, and the first words about his appearance sound like this: "The breast pocket of his Welton blazer was covered with a huge cluster of achievement pins." (page 5, ch.1) Ironic, right? Now try to close your eyes and imagine the same student, without imagining Neil. What impression will you have of him? Right.. smart, successful with a brilliant future. This is what people who don’t know Neil see. He has become someone who is held up as an example. A diligent student and an example of behavior. Even the fact that in the book he wears a pillar with the inscription "excellence" as if hanging a label of idealism and perfection on himself. That is why they gave him this sign, so that he would carry it, introducing himself as the personification of that very perfection that teachers want to have in their students. But is that what he needs? Neil did not know what he wanted, he did not allow himself to go beyond what was permitted, always silently and following the rules. Afraid of getting burned like a moth over a fire. He was suppressed by his father, all the time his desires and dreams were rejected and not accepted, because there is a coordinate system and you cannot move against it. I can even assume that his father pressured him if his academic results did not satisfy him, from which Neil tried to prove that he could do better, because he wants his father to be proud of him and love him for being a good son, perhaps Mr. Perry could punish Neil for disobedience, from which the boy began to fear his father like a nightmare. Remember the scene when his father entered the room at the very beginning of the movie after the ceremony? Neil's behavior changed from before to after. With his friends he was happy, self-confident and the life of the party, but when his father showed up on the doorstep all of these traits were washed away and Neil showed his fear and insecurity.

So he hid himself, his dreams, ambitions and desires including emotions in front of his father. Several times in the book, (the movie didn’t showed it) Neil had the outbursts and slightly hysterical release of his emotions he was holding when his father was around. “Neil held the achievement pin in his hand as he spoke. “The bastard!” he shouted suddenly, jabbing his thumb with the metal point of the pin and drawing blood. Todd winced, but Neil just stared at the blood intently. He pulled the pin out and hurled it against the wall.” (Page 19, Chap3)

“Mr. Perry turned and stalked out. Neil stood still for a long time, then, walking to his desk, he started pounding on it, harder and harder until his fists went numb and tears began rolling down his cheeks.” (Page 119, chap11) Neil isn’t an emotionally stable person because his emotions only show when his father is not around. He is mentally weak because he is afraid to speak his mind around someone who will not listen to him. This is important and worth remembering because Neil has no voice around his father, so he did not tell him what he wanted, so he kept silent because he understood and built a mental reflex that his father's stubborn nature would still make him do what Neil does not want. He already knows what his father will say. Rejection. This is his weak point. He is afraid of rejection and does not want to hear it again, because he has heard it so many times ... over and over again. This Neil is very different from the confident guy he shows himself to be in society.

he did not share his feelings/thoughts with anyone, because he most likely not had close friends except Charlie. Because His entire life was planned and controlled by his authoritarian father, from A to Z. His dad would’ve probably not be happy about his son being friends with the “who the hell knows”.

That's why when he heard Keating's words about enjoying the moment, living here and now while this moment is here because one day it won't be. Carpe diem my friend. You need to look at things in the different way and not be afraid of what others think because what matters is what you think. These words entered Neil's thoughts as a basis for changing his situation, to free himself from the shackles and become who he always wanted. Because if not, this moment will never come. He began to think differently and began to go towards his dream that he wanted to acquire so much. Neil was slowly drowning in his ideal world, living freely and hopelessly, but he misunderstood Keating's words, because he had to change his idea of ​​the world and not himself. Neil did not understand that you cannot change the situation you are in, you can only change your idea and vision of it. He wanted to take control, but he forgot that sucking out the bone marrow, you need to do it so as not to choke on the bone. It is interesting that he was the first to come and recreate the Dead poets society and the first to leave, thus killing this society.

His death has a huge influence on the plot as well as on the symbolism itself, because if you look closely, in the book he dies with his crown of flowers as if killing his personality "Puck" through which he embodied the archetype of the deceiver (his father’s deceiver), challenging the established standards of behaviour. The second one is a reference to Jesus that many talk about. So, if you think about it, the crown of branches that he wore is very similar to the one that Jesus had. At first, he looks up, supposedly into the sky, in search of the meaning of life and pondering his decision. He puts on the crown, proclaiming himself his own liberator, just as Jesus was in Christian culture.

He didn't want to depend on his father or the rotten system anymore, Neil thought he would make his own decision outside of his father's wishes. After all, if there is no freedom in life itself, then why should he live?

Then, he lowers his head as if accepting his fate and knowing that he has chosen the right path for himself.

Neil showed obedience to himself and not to someone else which made him one step freer before he got freedom completely. He, like Jesus, accepted himself as a sacrifice in the face of freedom intending to be free even if not for others then for himself. Therefore, it was his own "crucifixion".

It is interesting that he lowers his head just like the boy from that very wall painting.

Okay, but then how does he relate to Charlie? It's simple, Charlie isn't always himself either, and unlike Neil's hidden symbolism, he directly proclaims himself to be another person, namely "Nuwanda". He abandons his boring, past self by forgetting who he was through self-destruction. "I have an announcement. In keeping with the spirit of passionate experimentation of the Dead Poets, I'm giving up the name Charles Dalton. From now on, call me 'Nuwanda.'" (page 89, chap9) In the same way, he added more nuances to his personality, such as his famous phrase "getting red" and when he painted the Indian symbol of virility on his torso supposedly giving himself confidence through the symbol's underlying meaning, which is anchored in the Indian goddess Shiva-Lingam which signifies masculinity, virility and association with fertility due to its sexual significance.

The same goes for the symbols he drew on his cheek, what's interesting is that in the movie he drew it with lipstick using red again, which usually symbolizes power, passion and life, this colour is used to attract attention. But in the book... he literally scrapes dirt off the wall to draw this symbol on his cheek. (What a cheerful boy fr)

Charlie is a time bomb. He constantly has ideas in his head, at first it may seem empty but there really is a lot of things, plus this “dish” is also seasoned with the guy's self-confidence and huge ego. This is proven by the fact that Charlie literally claimed the cave when he entered it and then used it to bring girls, without worrying about the opinions of others. He kind of stands as an example of the opposite of the Welton school value system, and encourages boys not to be afraid to be more confident. In the film, he was the first to support Neil in the idea of ​​creating a club, standing on his side, and also defending him after Cameron's betrayal at the very end, knowing that he is risking his education in Welton, but he is not afraid to take on such responsibility ... well, because why should he be afraid? He already has a future full of money, knowing that his father will force him to work with his business. By the way, about his father.

Unlike Neil, his relationship with his father is controversial and he can fight back with the confidence that he will be forgiven. In the film, his parents are shown in the background.

And in the book we only know his mother. I can assume that Charlie is a child from a rich family who lives as an accessory in the hands of his parents. He, like Neil, is the "pride" of his parents and should be an example, only Charlie does not want to follow the coordinate system and enter it instead he moves against it. Like Neil at the end of his path.

We know that Rebellion is already embedded in any ideology at the time of its creation, and rebels only personify rebellion and do not bring it to the established system of values. After all, there will always be those who are against the established system, moving in the opposite direction and trying to find other conclusions, other ideas that will definitely suit a certain type.

Charlie could become a rebel for two reasons, the first: the search for attention. Unlike the hyper-care of Neil's father over his son, his father could be so bogged down in work that he forgot about his own son, perhaps not even his beloved, because then the marriage would be of convenience. His parents did not give him enough attention, pushing him away, rejecting him. He wanted to be noticed by them so that they would give him love, so he tried to achieve it in every possible way and it became a habit. Or the second option: He was tired of living a pretense. Straightforwardness is always a way out when it’s difficult to explain. Just be simple and do not bother to be complex, so the fear of making a mistake disappears. So Charlie did, because as far back as he could remember, he hated being told how he should behave, how he should talk to guests, how he should smile, how he should take utensils for food, and so on. Charlie was tired of seeing people from high society smiling at each other with such hypocrisy, as if a second ago they had not been in deep judgmental discussion. The world of big business disgusted Charlie, because those people were too worried about how they looked in front of others and they ran after status. Charlie was a prisoner of this every day and he didn't want to be like the others, he wanted to create something of his own in his personality, something that the others didn't have and something that would distinguish them from him, or him from them. So he chose the easy way - rebellion. So Keating's words meant something to him in the sense that he would enjoy the moment of rebelling against the school's rules and building his own system. Charlie could relate to his own approaching "death" if life at Welton was not symbolic but real. That is, his expulsion is an actual death. It could be similar to the phrase that Carpe diem oppose - Memento Mori. Carpe diem, in simple terms, says that death is inevitable, but it is unknown when it will come, and therefore it should not be feared, but instead enjoy the moment, which is what Keating taught his students, but there is also memento mori, which says that death is inevitable, but the moment of its onset can be delayed by behaving, so to speak, you should live “correctly” and act rationally for the benefit of your own life. In other words, memento mori means that everything is in your hands and when you die is determined by how you live. And Carpe diem is about the opposite, that nothing depends on you. And therefore you can and should take everything from life here and now. These two terms are closely related to the understanding of Keating's lessons, so each DPS boy had his own end. Tragic or partly happy. Knox and Todd understood that you can't change this system, but you can change your attitude towards it by finding beauty in things and avoiding death, but Neil and Charlie didn't understand him, wanting to change system and putting their lives on the line, so both of their seats are empty at the end.

If you think about it... Charlie is Neil's desire for suicide. After all, he too is moving towards self-destruction by excluding himself from the system directly through death, while Charlie does it indirectly by going through exclusion.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Only One Worth Posing For

Pairing: Matthew Gray Gubler x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.1k

Warnings: fluff

Summary: You're a famous photographer so you often get invited to red carpet events. Your best friend is an actor, and you've taken tons of pictures of him. The only problem is that he only poses for your camera.

Square Filled: ​“yeah, you’re cold. I’m giving you my jacket” for @spencerreidbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

Camera? Check. Extra lenses? Check. Press pass? Check. Supply bag? Check. Gorgeous pink dress you got just for this event? Check. You check the time on your phone to make sure you’re not running late, which you’re not. Your best friend should already be at the movie premier for his new movie, and you’re one of the photographers on the red carpet.

You’re a famous photographer that takes pictures of celebrities for events like movie premiers, the Met Gala, award shows, etc. Your career started in high school when you took almost all of the pictures for the yearbooks. Then, you took pictures of your friend’s graduation pictures and got paid less than one hundred dollars for it. Once in college, you took a lot of photography classes that allowed you to hone your skills and become better.

Someone saw your pictures on your college website and loved them so they got in contact with you, and that’s how you got your first job at a magazine. It took about a decade to get to where you are now and you couldn’t be happier. Along the way, you’ve met and hung out with a ton of celebrities including your best friend. You two met back when you were the photographer for the magazine, and you’ve been inseparable ever since.

Speaking of the devil, he texts you just as you are leaving the apartment.

Are you on your way?

just leaving now! be there soon xx

I can’t wait to see you :)

The message brings a smile to your face. He never fails to lift your spirits no matter how you’re feeling. He sent for a car to take you to the movie premier instead of you taking your own. When you get there, the place is packed with press, fans, and cars carrying celebrities. 

“Thank you,” you smile at the driver and get out.

You head to the booth to check in and present your press pass to her. She confirms you’re on the list before letting you inside the area where the press is located. You set your bag on the ground and take out your favorite lens to use in times like these, the kind of lens that allows you to zoom in clearly even from where you are. The more popular you got, the more expensive equipment you bought.

You got here at the right time because celebrities show up not long after you get set up. Much like everyone here, you call their names in hopes they pose for your camera. You get a lot of good shots of very iconic celebrities like Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock. The movie did so much press to make sure it is the most popular movie which is why so many celebrities are here.

You look to the left and see your best friend walk down the red carpet with a huge smile on his face. Matthew Gray Gubler. A man of many tricks. A man who never fails to make you smile. He looks past every person who calls out his name until he finds your camera. His eyes light up and begins posing for your camera and your camera only.

“Matthew! Look over here!” one of them says but he ignores them,

‘Stop it’, you mouth to him and his smile only gets bigger. What did you expect? He always does this whenever you’re in the crowd with a camera. He only cares about you and your career. If you can get good pictures of him, then you can sell them for a lot of money. People around you are frustrated with you and him but you don’t care about them.

Matthew leaves the red carpet and joins the group of celebrities who are hanging outside before they can go inside the theater. There are only a few more celebrities to capture, then you’re packing up your things. Apart from being part of the press, Matthew invited you as his plus one.

“Are you serious with Matthew?” one of the other photographers says.

“Sorry. Maybe next time,” you shrug.

You bring your case back to the town car that is still waiting for you, and you toss your press pass into the backseat. There is no reason for you to have two outfits when you can wear your red carpet outside as one of the press. You walk back over to the same booth and check in as a guest. She gives you your guest pass and you make your way into the area where all the celebrities are.

“I’m gonna slap that motherfucker when I see him,” you joke to yourself.

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you!” Shemar Moore smiles when he sees you.

“Shemar! I thought you were still filming S.W.A.T.,” you grin and hug him.

“I couldn’t miss this premier.”

“Where is Matthew?”

“Last I saw him was by the entrance to the theater.”

“Great. I’ll see you inside.” You leave his side and go find your best friend. He’s talking to one of the younger and newer kid stars, and you slink up to his side. “Excuse me. Mind if I borrow him for a second?”

“Sure. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

You pull him to the side and away from everyone for some semi-privacy.

“What the hell was that back there?”

“What?” he laughs.

“You can’t keep posing for my camera only.”

“You tell me this every time, and what do I keep telling you?” 

“Mine is the only one worth posing for.”

“See? It’s law at this point.”

He leans in and kisses you quickly. You two have been testing the waters for a romantic relationship for the last couple of weeks. It’s been going well because you’re taking it at your own speed without the public knowing. 

“You’re gonna piss off the other photographers.”

“I don’t care.”

He pulls you in and kisses you much deeper this time. You only allow two minutes to yourselves before you pull away from him. Goosebumps litter your arms and you shiver slightly under his gaze.

“You’re shivering. Are you cold?”

“That’s not why I’m shivering,” you say and shiver again.

“Yeah, you’re cold. I’m giving you my jacket.”

He sheds his jacket and slings it over your shoulder to provide you with warmth. He slides his hand into yours and pulls you toward the entrance to the theater.

“Let’s go watch this movie. Afterward, you’re gonna let me take you home.”

“We live together,” you giggle.

“Even better.”

“You’re a dork.”

“Only for you,” he winks and kisses your cheek.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[andypantsx3]

incendiary | 6 | bakugou x reader

pairing: Bakugou Katsuki / Fem Reader

length: 3.7k | 6th of 8 chapters

summary: When you accidentally go viral in defense of quirkless people, an extremist group puts a target on your back. Pro hero Dynamight is the last person you want watching it.

tags/warnings:  enemies to lovers, themes of discrimination (please see note in fic masterpost), canon typical violence, eventual smut, aged up characters

series masterlist

“Absolutely not,” Bakugou growled.

You just barely managed to step back as he reached for your laptop with one heavily-muscled arm. He swiped downwards as though he meant to shut it himself, physically closing the book on this discussion.

You let out a strangled noise, stumbling away, beating a quick retreat around the counter as the whisk he’d been using in the pancake batter clattered off the side of the bowl. You knew he could jump it if he really wanted, but the buffer between you made you feel better, although his instant rejection raised your hackles.

“Wait, why not?” you asked, although you’d been uncertain about the request yourself. It’s not like you had set out to accidentally become one of the most famous quirkless people in the country. Not to mention every time you stumbled back into public view, it seemed to just prolong your stay here, and put you in additional danger with Matsui and his group.

“Because it’s a fucking target on your back, idiot,” Bakugou said, pinning you with those scarlet eyes. “All this work to protect your bratty ass and you want to signal to Matsui right where you are?”

“Well, no,” you huffed. “But how many chances do you get to be on TV? This has to be carefully thought through.”

One blonde brow raised as Bakugou crossed his arms over his chest. You noted he was sleeveless again today, in nothing but a black tank, and all that bare muscle was looking especially pronounced at the moment—possibly from the workout you’d heard him finish a half hour ago . You forcibly dragged your eyes back up to his face, only to find he was watching you in disbelief.

Oh. Right. He was on TV like every day.

“Well, how many chances does a normal person get to be on TV?” you corrected, your face feeling hot for some reason.

The haughty, dismissive twist of Bakugou’s features made your back molars ache with that familiar need to bite him again.

“You’ve already been on TV and look where it got you, brat,” Bakugou said, returning to beating the pancake batter with a little too much vigor, his biceps straining.

Your gaze snapped to the motion of his arm, and you wisely chose not to pursue the subject any further, lest he deprive you of pancakes. Also your mouth was suddenly weirdly dry, and you felt a little bit like you needed to sit down.

This discussion could be put on pause for a minute.

You beat a hasty retreat from the kitchen instead, throwing yourself onto the couch where all your textbooks were still waiting for you, highlighter and pens uncapped where you’d dumped them all over the table. You sighed, flopping down and returning to your homework, feeling weirdly hot and displeased.

Bakugou was technically right. You ran a huge risk giving an interview on Japan’s biggest daily news show. And you didn’t even want to be famous—you wanted nothing to do with the level of internet notoriety you’d received, and you were so eager to be out of this damn safehouse. Now that Bakugou had apologized and you’d cleared the air, it somehow felt like the safehouse was even smaller than before.

Over the last few days, you and Bakugou had done an awful lot together. Cooking, eating, making actual human conversation. He’d also indicated he would let you watch one single hour of trash reality TV later this evening, which was almost nice of him. This entire morning, you’d found yourself compelled to spend time out in the living room while he cooked, trying not to peer at him over the top of your laptop screen as you finished up a paper.

All that interaction felt like you were occupying very close quarters, however, and that strange sense of tension was still there between you, though you couldn’t put your finger on quite what it was now. It was probably safest to evacuate the safehouse before anything came to a head.

You finished up your homework, trying to push the interview request to the back of your mind.

But it stuck around stubbornly, as if superglued to the forefront of your brain. There was this roiling feeling within you, like the one that had come just before your blowout with Bakugou. And his saying no only made things worse—it was like he’d lit a pilot light, dangerously close to a trail of gunpowder…

The request lingered in the back of your mind over the following days. It was there when you fell asleep, when you showered, when you brushed your teeth. It lurked in the cup of the measuring spoons as you and Bakugou cooked together once more, in the faces of the actors during your single permitted hour of “idiot TV”. For something you were fairly certain you could have said no to just a few days ago and never thought of again, it had alarmingly persistent sticking power.

On Sunday afternoon you found yourself blinking back to yourself in the shower, realizing you’d lost dozens of minutes to contemplation, staring sightlessly at the ugly floral curtain. You sank to the floor of the shower, huddling into a contemplative ball under its steady spray. A memory niggled at your mind, fuzzy, barely remembered, and yet disturbing in its intensity.

The flash of an ugly blue-and-green polo, a pasty leer, and a surge of white hot anger, climbing up your chest, into your throat, and then—and then—

And then the convenience store. The two men, advancing into the space you’d ceded. A request that they mind their own business and leave you to yours.

“You wouldn’t know a thing about minding your own business, you fucking freak,” echoed on loop in your brain.

Wouldn’t know a thing about minding your own business—because you had asked a bunch of QRAs to back off. To back off of people like you.

And…well didn’t that make it your business? Yours, more than anyone’s? You were the quirkless person whose very existence was being picked over. You were the quirkless person getting harassed on the street, in the classroom, in some random convenience store where you were just trying to buy a sandwich. You were the person trapped in a safehouse because someone wanted to murder you—all for minding what was exactly your own business.

Before you knew what you were doing, you’d risen back to your feet, and were shampooing your hair with a vengeance. You rocketed through your personal care and all but leapt out of the shower, and stuffed yourself into your change of clothes, still half-wet.

And then you found yourself peering into the living room, and risking the fragile peace you’d found with Bakugou once again.

“The fuck about ‘no’ are you not getting?” Bakugou demanded, whipping around to stare at you before the question had even finished leaving your own mouth. He was stretched out over the yoga mat, holding himself perfectly level, with his feet not even touching the ground.

You gaped, your mouth falling open as your brain went momentarily offline. All thoughts of the interview evacuated your mind. “What the fuck are you doing?” you demanded, your eyes flicking unwillingly to his straining biceps.

Bakugou’s red-eyed glare cut through you. “It’s a fucking pushup, idiot.”

Your head shook as your eyes lingered in the dips and swells of his muscles. That black tank top he was always wearing was slowly riding up over the flat plane of his stomach and you could just make out the shadow of an intimidating set of abdominals from this angle.

“Nuh uh,” you said stupidly.

A blonde eyebrow raised, and he slowly, agonizingly pushed himself into an impossible ninety degree angle and on into a fucking handstand.

You could feel how slack your jaw was but there was nothing you could do about your caveperson image. Your eyes were nailed to the trim waist and mouth-watering set of abs bared by this move. “You—pushup—that’s not—” you just managed to clamp your mouth closed as that horrible echo of pegnate?? gregnant?? tolled in the depths of your mind.

You were so focused on the flex of Bakugou’s arm as he lowered himself again that you almost missed the flash of a smirk across his mouth.

“Got something else to say, brat?” he asked.

The smugness in his tone raised your hackles, but it took you several more minutes to fumble around and locate your faculties for human speech. “I—yes, as a matter of fact. I’m doing the interview. And that’s not a question, it’s a statement.”

Bakugou pressed into another handstand, and then pushed up out of it, easy as anything. A vague sense of annoyance buzzed about you like a mosquito as he righted himself. Showoff.

“I already said you’re not, princess,” Bakugou said. Sweat glinted at his collar points and the line of his hair, giving him a faint glow in the afternoon sunlight. That sweet, tangy caramel scent met your nose again as he moved closer, crossing those biceps over his chest.

You tried not to go cross-eyed. “Well… I already said I am,” you told him, yanking your eyes firmly back up to his.

Something about the look on his face made your teeth ache to latch over his skin again, to clamp down and bite.

He leaned in, bringing a whiff of caramel with him, and you stumbled back a step, surprised. “You mean you’re not gonna be good for me, princess?” he asked, something smug thick in his tone.

Instantly your face flamed, the way it had a few days ago over breakfast. Good for him? Good for him? Your ears went so hot that the air around them chilled you.

“I’ll show you what’s good for you,” you said nonsensically, raising your hands to his chest to push him back, only to find he was as immovable as a stone wall, and as hard as one, too. Your hands froze on his pecs, your face getting even hotter with the heat of him under your hands.

A wicked smirk carved the sides of his mouth, and your brain suddenly fuzzed with static, panicking.

You couldn’t think—all you could do was reach up, catch a fistful of his hair, and yank him down into a headlock.

“Oi, what the fuck—” Bakugou swore, twisting. You clamped your arm down, panicking harder, realizing you’d just grabbed a trained combat professional, desperate to keep him down.

But Bakugou wasted no time. No sooner had you tensed your arm than he’d seized you under your legs and back, pushing you straight up and over his head. You flailed, trying to grab back onto him, but he swung you right down on the yoga mat he’d been occupying, grappling for your arms and pinning you down neatly. He managed it in under two seconds, and you stared up at him, dazed, taking in the incredulous look that split his stupid handsome face.

“What the fuck was that for, brat?” he demanded, his face filling up your entire vision.

“Showing you—what’s good for you—” you managed to cough out, winded.

A feral smile slashed across Bakugou’s mouth, completely unexpectedly. “I’ve met fuckin’ babies who can do better than that.”

You glared up at him, trying to angle your foot to kick him off of you, but he shifted, pressing his knee down on your leg in warning.

“You’re not doing the interview,” he said firmly, his tone final.

But you had already made up your mind, the second you’d sifted through those memories in the shower and realized just why the request had stuck with you. And not even pro hero Dynamight was enough force to stop you.

“Yes I am,” you told him, staring him straight in the eye. You tried to put all your conviction, all your determination and intent into your stare, into the firmness of your tone.

“For what?” Bakugou demanded hotly, his grip tightening on your wrists.

“For me!” you said. “I keep getting accused of not minding my own business, for being a nosy bitch or whatever, and I’m sick of it! Being quirkless is my business. I completely intended to mind my own business the night of the first video, going out with my friends and getting drunk, and it’s those QRA assholes who showed up on my campus in the first place! And then in the convenience store—all I was doing was trying to buy a sandwich!”

Bakugou’s mouth pressed into an annoyed line. “Yeah? And what are you even gonna say, brat?”

You grunted, trying to shift him off of you, but he held fast, pressing you down harder into the mat. “I want to give a real account of what it’s like to be a quirkless person who is minding their own business. Who was literally just living my life, uninvolved in any sort of activism or anything, and still got pulled into multiple situations where my life and my safety are threatened! The point is that ordinary people need to care about this stuff because it apparently can seep into your life whether you think you can avoid it or not. And some of us have been learning the hard way.”

Bakugou’s brows furrowed, his full mouth curling up in distaste like he hated to even be contemplating what you’d said. “So you wanna let Matsui know right where you are because you’re what—pissed off?”

For a moment, the only thought in your head was leaning forward and biting that expression right off of his face. Your whole brain was swirling with the barely-contained need to do something to him—until a revelation dawned on you.

You would be letting Matsui know right where you were.

Matsui, who had been waiting in the shadows like some sort of phantom harm. Matsui, who’d been bold enough to send a threat to your university, had been bold enough to run his mouth in all of the unsavory parts of the internet, but hadn’t yet been bold enough, or knowledgeable enough, to make his final move. Matsui—-who no one could actually touch or bring in until his threat was confirmed to be real.

And really, what better way to confirm than to draw him out?

You stared at Bakugou, your eyes running down his now-familiar features. That pert nose, that pretty mouth, always set in determination, those blazing scarlet eyes, always searching out a fight. His blond brows, still drawn down in focus, and the haughty tilt to his jaw. If there was one person equipped to handle Matsui, if he did come for you, it was the annoying pro hero currently pinning you to his yoga mat.

“What, scared to fight him?” you asked, knowing exactly the kind of reaction it would get from Bakugou.

His teeth gritted, and he leaned down to put his face into yours. “I ain’t scared of shit.”

“Then what’s the issue?” you asked. “Didn’t you say at the beginning that you wanted to hunt him down yourself and crush him?”

Bakugou’s expression darkened, getting slightly redder like he was getting angry, like he knew you were baiting him—but if there was one thing about him, it’s that he was an incredibly consistent personality. “I’ll fucking destroy him.”

You quickly suppressed the smile that threatened to overtake your mouth. “Good, then we’re in agreement.”

Bakugou looked almost apoplectic. “We are not in agreement, you goddamn brat,” he spat.

“You just said you were gonna destroy him!” you said. If your hands had been free, you would have thrown them up in exasperation.

“Jeanist has to agree to this idiot fucking plan, and he’s not gonna do that if it puts you at risk, you fucking brat. There’s no guarantee that Matsui wouldn’t bring a bunch of his quirk supremacist friends, it would be extremely easy for you to get your ass blown off the face of the earth. What makes you think you’d even fucking make it out of there in one piece?” Bakugou growled.

You looked up at him, slightly touched by the concern. But try as you might, you couldn’t imagine Bakugou of all people losing track of the fight and letting you get cremated. The more you insisted on this idea, the more you believed it yourself.

“Because I’ll have you,” you said simply.

Bakugou paused, blinking down at you through long, golden lashes. His face went suddenly still in a way that you hadn’t seen before, and without his features twisted up in disdain, he looked instantly, incredibly handsome. “What,” he said flatly.

You squirmed a little in his grip, embarrassed by how sincerely you meant it. But you pushed on. “Because I trust you to protect me,” you said. “You have so far. And you’ve proved I was wrong about you before. You haven’t given me a reason not to trust you.”

Bakugou’s face spasmed, like he was desperately trying to not feel human emotion, but you could see the way the tips of his ears went pink through the ashy blonde strands of his hair.

You thought this had been a rather effective play on your part, though you did mean it. He’d saved you once before, made you tea and food and let you cry in front of him like a big dramatic baby. He’d apologized, and spent the last week trying to make it up to you, albeit aggressively, by letting you get away with more and trying to feed you real meals.

Actions spoke loudly, and Bakugou’s actions had proven himself to you, as far as you were concerned.

Those scarlet eyes cut away from you, focusing on some point on the floor to the left of your head, and it was then you knew you’d gotten him.

“You’re a goddamn pain in my ass,” he said, his voice slightly more gravelly than before. “You can go on one fucking condition.”

You nodded eagerly, thrilled with your success. “Okay. Yes. Whatever it is, yes.”

Bakugou’s lip curled, and his gaze cut back to yours. “You’re going to learn self-defense before you go on that stupid fucking show.”

You blinked. “In less than a week? During finals week?”

“As much as I say you will,” he growled, raising his eyebrows at you significantly.

You got the impression then that this was a non-negotiable point for him. And much as you doubted you’d been an expert by the time Thursday rolled around, you couldn’t deny the idea had merit. You probably weren’t going to take out Matsui himself, but it wouldn’t hurt to know how to suppress someone with a lesser quirk.

“Okay,” you said, nodding. “I’ll do it.”

Bakugou shifted over you so he was crouched over you, almost sitting on your stomach, still pinning your wrists down at the side of your head. A mean smirk overtook his face again, and a warning light flicked on in the back of your brain.

“First lesson, then, brat. Try to get out of this hold,” he said.

You stared up at him in disbelief, incredulity and annoyance instantly bubbling up in your veins like they’d just been set on a hot stove. “Now? Get out of this?” you demanded.

Bakugou’s smile was a wicked, feral thing, and it made something hot curl in your stomach, even more disconcerting than your annoyance. “If you wanna make it to your computer in time to respond to the email, then you’d better hurry up,” he said.

Immediately you started bucking in his hold, trying to shove him off of you with the raise of your hips, trying to twist out of his grip like a spineless jellyfish. Bakugou held you down, looking far too self-satisfied, and way too relaxed, like this was child’s play to him, while you struggled for your life. You kicked and curled and squirmed but none of it would dislodge him, and the insane urge to fucking bite him rose within you again, blotting out all rational thought.

Before you had realized what you were doing, you’d turned your head and brought your mouth to one of the arms holding you down. And then you leaned up and bit him right in the middle of his bicep, clamping down for all you were worth.

“What the fuck—!” Bakugou shouted, suddenly pulling his hands off of you just as hot, reflexive sparks of his quirk shot out of his palms. The motion jerked the skin of his arm out of your mouth, and you could see the ring of your tooth marks left in the firm muscle, smell the ashy sweetness of his quirk heat the air around you.

You realized he’d only moved to protect you, but that was enough of a surprise for you to buck him off of you, sliding quickly out from underneath him.

He recovered quickly enough, catching you by the scruff of your shirt and slamming you back down on the yoga mat. He covered you with his body again, his palms still hot from his quirk.

“What the fuck was that you goddamn brat?” he demanded.

You gave him your shittiest, smuggest grin. “Self defense,” you said. “And I escaped your hold, even if only for a second, so I win.”

Bakugou looked beyond pissed.

“You’re gonna get it, you shitty fucking brat,” he told you warningly, his tone going darker.

But you didn’t care. You were far too satisfied with your unexpected win, and the realization of your desire to bite him that had compounded over the course of your isolation with him.

You loved the look of him, incredulous, furious, and so impossibly golden and handsome over you—this, you thought wildly, was worth any revenge he could think up. This was exactly how you wanted him.

And then Bakugou moved, his revenge swift and merciless.

He uttered your name like an oath, ducked his head. And then he caught your mouth in a kiss—hot and furious.

And the tension you had sensed building all along finally snapped.

[ibarkatpeoplewoofwoofbitch]

EVE AND LILITH THEORY

Okay so we don't know why lilith went missing for seven years. But what I do know is this ain't lilith

Lilith hair is slicked back in every backstory we see of her

In the photos, we see that'd show if she has her horns or slick back hair, which is covered by hats or completely cut off.

But I know for sure in this scene right here before what probably was before lilith left it looked like Eve

And here's my theorys.

NUMBER ONE:LILITH IS CONTROLLED BY EVE. (Far fetched and wrong words but you'll see what I mean)

it could be their the same penny on different sides like in brittle bones Nicky number two when the devil and God are the same people

Like the lyrics "I'm mufasa and I am scar" it's like yin and yang

In goodness, theirs evil and in evil theirs goodness.

THEORY NUMBER 2:EVE AND LILITH MADE A DEAL.

Lilith was a famous woman in hell, not just because of being queen but also because of her singing. (Can't wait to see who is casted for her I hope it's someone who can hit high notes). Maybe lilith wanted to "get away" from everything but still wanted to be in touch and see what's going on hence all the eyes everywhere in hell.

And maybe Eve wanted a family. Cause adam does not seem like someone you'd wanna spend your whole (after)life with. Eve probably wanted someone who'd love her and by lucifer loving lilith and forgets things like where charlie was even though he's not a bad guy and says vaggie as maggie. Lucifer probably dissociated so much he forgot lilith looked different but still loved lilith who was infact Eve.

THEORY NUMBER 3:EVE IS DEAD

I don't think she made it into heaven, unlike Adam. Cause by what we've seen, no one knows why people go to heaven, not even a seraphim (the highest rank of angel right below the power god has but the second highest rank.)

THEORY NUMBER 4:THEY BOTH RAN AWAY

Powerful women becoming wives arc 🤷‍♂️

THEORY NUMBER 5:EVE HAS ALASTORS SOUL.

Look I don't know much but I do know eve does that whole pretty little liars smile and shushing the mouth thing. Who better to own alastors soul then someone who smiles no matter what?

THEORY NUMBER 6:ALASTOR KILLED EVE

Look, Eve was probably the first human to fall besides Well lilith who fell with lucifer. Eve could've been one of the higher overlords that alastor broadcasted killing.

THEORY NUMBER 7: LUTE IS EVE

Yknow I thought this one was a far stretched one. Theirs 3 clues. Lutes personality was like someone who could put up with Adam. And I know Adam made the exorcist. But vaggie didn't like Adam and before she fell she didn't like killing a demon.

Lute has the same personality as Adam but is way more serious then Adam is so Adam doesn't blow anything but she doesn't get mad when he gets close to doing it and when he did she stayed by his side agreeing with him.

Lute was personally distraught by Adam's death. And of course, she isn't like this with no one else. Why didn't the exorcist get distraught that they were obviously around him?

[axie-lot]

Time is the best healer

Characters: Morax (zhongli)

Warning: Male characters,Spoiler,mention of death,Discussion. It's the first time I'm writing romance.

Theme: angst with a happy ending

This work was originally written by me in Portuguese, and I translated it using Google Translator, so I apologize for any translation errors

Summary:Long before Liyue became the thriving city it is today, there existed two lovers whose bond seemed unbreakable until a terrible incident tore them apart.

The old times… That time that never returns… Where only memories of what happened and those who were present remain…

For those who live for centuries, good memories will be their best comfort… Many years ago, when the seven Archons were still established, during the time of the great war, when it was being decided who would occupy one of the seven seats that Celestia had established. In a region near the sea, located to the east of Teyvat, lived a small nation that was beginning to prosper, the people of Guili, who would later become known as the people of Liyue, even in that cruel time of war. This nation was blessed with the protection of Morax, a god known for his feats of power during this war, and his followers, who made contracts with him and swore loyalty. These followers are known as the Adepti. Well, these same protectors finally had a moment of rest during this violent and bloody war, and so some of them decided to have some fun and distract themselves a little. At the top of the great Mount Aocang, three Adepti were gathered. Among them was a woman known as Cloud Retainer, a tall woman with long hair, who seemed to be in the middle of a friendly argument with a shorter woman known as Guizhong. Between them was a man laughing at this small argument, a man with some features resembling a white tiger, known by the name [name]. And a little further back, almost unnoticed, observing everything that was happening, was the famous Morax, who allowed himself to rest with his companions. He couldn't help but have a slight smile at the corner of his mouth as he observed everything unfolding.

"This Adeptus is certain she created the best invention! Hmm!" — said the taller woman while crossing her arms — "Well, my dear friend, even though I think your creation is good, mine is better, just look at how perfectly it works." — The shorter one said with a smile on her face — "Well, this one does not accept that, so this one thinks we should ask for the opinion of a third party." — Cloud Retainer said while looking at her invention — "Very well, let it be done!" — Guizhong looked to the side until her gaze stopped on the beast-man sitting on a rock watching and laughing — "Very well, [name], you will be the judge!" [name] almost fell off the rock, so surprised to be dragged into the conversation out of nowhere. He stared wide-eyed, pointing to himself with one hand. "ME??!!…why me????" — The man with tiger-like features complained — "You were chosen by this one and by Guizhong, now make your decision!" The two women stared at [name] while he struggled to respond. His eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape this situation, until they landed on a figure who had been watching the scene. He immediately saw his way out.

"Well, I'm not a good judge, but you know who could answer this? Morax himself! That's right, he's much better for this!" "Morax!!! Please help this poor little tiger and be the judge!! I'll do anything!"

[name] ran towards the man who had been observing everything from a distance. The man sighed and said,

"Very well, I will be the judge, but before we make a decision, let's just sit at the table and enjoy the view of Mount Aocang, and also the company of us all gathered together."

Everyone agreed to do what Morax had said, as it wasn’t every day they could gather to enjoy the moment. So they all went to sit at the table, except for [name], since there were only three seats at the table. But he didn't mind, as his favorite spot was sitting by the tree near the table. The four friends stayed there talking, enjoying the break from the ongoing war. They chatted away, the conversation was so good that the two women forgot about the competition, and they were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't even notice the time passing, as night began to fall. But as the darkness of night started to settle in, the friends began to say their goodbyes, as they all had things to do. [name], already tired, started on his way home, but on the way, Morax decided to accompany the beast-man. The journey was in complete silence; neither of them said a word. They were just enjoying the comfortable silence between them. They walked until they reached a mountain, a mountain they frequented often, as it offered the perfect view of Liyue, a city that was still beginning to prosper. [name] was the first to sit on the edge of the mountain, and soon after, the amber-eyed man sat beside him, pulling the smaller one closer. The two of them stayed there for a while, watching the still small city they protected, until the silence was broken.

"The city looks so beautiful at night… I never get tired of this view. I'm very excited to see what it will look like in the future."

"I'm sure the city will prosper in the future. Well, I'll do my best since it's under my protection and that of the Adepti." [name] let out a small laugh and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder.

"Of course! Since it's under the protection of the great and powerful Rex Lapis!!" — [name] said enthusiastically, but then let out a sigh and spoke again —

"You know, Morax… I love when we have days like these, where we don't have to fight… we can just enjoy the day." — [name] said, letting out a small yawn —

"It's on days like these that I can spend hours talking to Guizhong!! She always shows me her new inventions! We spend time wandering through the lands of Liyue! And she also helps me escape when I play pranks on others!" — [Name] said, struggling to maintain his cheerful tone, despite being exhausted.

"Believe me, my little tiger, I enjoy days like these too." — Morax paused as he spoke, glancing at the smaller figure resting on his shoulder.

"But I will make you a promise, my little tiger, once I secure my position among the Seven, I promise we won't have to worry about fighting anymore." "Do you promise?" — [Name] asked in a sleepy voice. "I promise you."

[Name] finally gave in to sleep, resting on the taller man's shoulder, his tail curled around Morax. Morax smiled at the sight, gently brushing his hand through [Name]'s ears and hair, then kissed his forehead.

"I promise you, my dear little tiger."

War is a tragedy... War always brings suffering and pain... War brings death...

Guizhong was dead.

Guizhong had lost her life in a fierce battle on the Guili Plains, defending her people. [Name]'s best friend was dead! The one with whom he shared everything, the one who always gave advice. [Name] felt a whirlwind of emotions: sadness, guilt for not being there to help her, but above all, anger. His anger was directed at the people of Guili, for Guizhong had died defending them. But why? Why would an immortal give her life to protect creatures with such short lives? Why protect them? They didn’t deserve such protection.

As time passed, [Name]'s anger only grew. He began to despise the beings called humans. In his grief, he distanced himself from the other Adepti, spending more time in his domain. The cheerful demeanor he once had disappeared entirely, leaving behind only a person consumed by rage. His companions grew worried about this strange behavior, attempting to visit [Name], but he always declined, claiming he was busy with work. Over time, their visits became less frequent, as they too were preoccupied with their own grief for those lost in the Archon War. Morax, who had now claimed a position among the Seven and become the Geo Archon, leader of the people of Liyue, who were once the people of Guili, grew increasingly concerned about [Name]'s behavior and the constant refusal to accept visitors. Feeling worried and missing his companion, he decided to intervene.

Morax entered [Name]'s domain, ignoring his warnings that he was too busy, and after a long time, they finally stood face to face. [Name] was completely different from how Morax remembered him—his once lively, joyful eyes were now hollow. They stared at each other in silence, but unlike before, when the silence between them was comfortable, this silence brought discomfort to both. After several minutes, [Name] finally spoke. "Leave, Morax. I don't have time to talk, I'm busy." — [Name] spoke coldly, locking eyes with the taller man. Unfazed by [Name]'s tone, Morax approached him, placing a hand on his cheek. "[Name], tell me what's happening. You haven't left your domain in a long time..." — the dragon-man asked calmly, trying to understand. [Name] pulled away from the touch, which was unusual since he would normally seek it out.

"Nothing's happening, I'm just busy."

"[Name], don't lie to me. Tell me the truth. You haven't even seen how Liyue has grown... the city is magnificent, you should see it. You would love it." — Morax said, more firmly this time.

That was the moment when [Name] finally let everything out. It was the moment he exploded, unable to contain his feelings any longer. It was the moment he couldn't bear the hatred he harbored for mortals anymore. All the rage he had carried alone for centuries—the hatred of the mortals who caused the death of his best friend. "Why should I care about anything those pathetic mortals create?! They're so weak they can't even defend themselves!! Let them die, no one would care, because our sacrifice to protect them isn't worth it! It only brings death to us! And it's all their fault!" As [Name] spoke with fury in his voice, his power, driven by his anger, began to affect the environment around him. The air in his domain grew colder, and the ground beneath his feet started to freeze, with spikes of ice emerging around him.

For a moment, Morax was surprised,not by [Name]'s power, but by his words. He hadn't expected this deep hatred for mortals. But recognizing the gravity of the situation, Morax quickly regained his composure, knowing that calmness was the best way to handle it.

He tried to approach the younger one again, ignoring the environment that had been affected by [name]'s power.

"[Name]…" – he attempted to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"Shut up, Morax!" – [name] shouted.

With years of accumulated anger, [name] was blinded by it. He did something he had never thought of doing consciously.

"It was all your fault!! You made us Adepti protect those pests! It was all your fault! All the deaths of our kind!! Her death was your fault!"

In a moment of fury, [name] charged at Morax with all his strength, but before attacking him, he stopped. A glimmer of consciousness held him back, for he knew that if he attacked Morax, he would break the contract between them, and breaking the contract meant that [name] would have to pay a price. He knew this would be a bad idea, and another reason that stopped him was knowing he would lose the fight.

[Name] stood still for a moment before taking the opportunity to flee, as he didn’t want to face the taller man. He had many reasons for this,one of them being his hatred for Morax wanting to protect the humans, but also, deep down, because he was ashamed of losing control and nearly attacking him.

Morax, still standing in his place, didn't seem too affected by [name]'s outburst of rage, though his gaze showed a hint of concern. When he saw [name] disappear before him, he didn’t follow. With his years of experience, Morax knew that both he and [name] needed this space, that [name] needed time to clear his mind, and that time was the best remedy for the hatred he was feeling.

Years… Or rather, centuries passed… It has been a long time since [name] set foot in Liyue…

During that time, Morax regularly visited [name]’s dwelling, ensuring it was always in good condition. For the first centuries, [name] traveled between nations, without a fixed place to stay. He would linger in one nation for a while and then move to another, but [name] always avoided contact with mortals, as he still harbored anger toward them.

However, that anger gradually lessened over the centuries. [Name]'s view of mortals began to change when he met one by chance—a mortal who saved his life after he had gotten into a fight and was defeated. [Name] had been gravely injured and was certain he would die. Due to the blood loss, he passed out, but when he woke up, he was lying in a comfortable bed, with one of the "pests" tending to him. He tried to resist, refusing the help, but his body was too weakened by his defeat, so he reluctantly accepted the mortal’s aid, though not without first threatening to kill him if he tried anything and promising to leave once fully healed.

But the irony of fate is truly a divine comedy…

[Name] grew attached to the mortal as the latter helped him recover. He learned that the mortal was a renowned doctor from Fontaine named Lucien. And in the end, [name] didn’t leave after recovering.

A beautiful friendship blossomed

A friendship between a mortal and an immortal who once claimed to hate humans.

"The pest" taught [name] the importance of mortal life.

As the years passed with Lucien, [name]'s hatred toward mortals diminished. He began to understand the significance of mortal life. Unlike immortals who had centuries of life, mortals had a short time to live, and they had to make the most of that small window.

[Name] realized that the strong must protect those who cannot defend themselves.

So, [name] spent years by the mortal's side, protecting him. He watched Lucien find love and have children with her. Love was something [name] had only felt once in his life, and it had been for the very man he decided to leave behind.

When [name] saw Lucien interacting with his beloved, he couldn’t help but think of Morax.

[Name] missed Morax.

But [name] was still too proud to go back.

He stayed with Lucien until death parted them. He saw the man age over time, and [name] witnessed the death of the same man who had made him care about mortals again.

[Name] ensured the mortal had a proper burial, laying him to rest in the backyard of the house they had shared. That day was a sad one for [name], as he was truly shaken by the loss. But unlike when he grieved for Guizhong, this time he didn’t let anger consume him or blame anyone or anything. He simply accepted Lucien’s death.

It was also on that day, after many years, that [name] finally came to terms with Guizhong’s death. He realized that he shouldn’t have blamed anyone for her death, not the mortals nor Morax, because Guizhong had chosen to protect the mortals, knowing the dangers involved. It was her choice…

And so, the years passed. [Name] decided to remain in the region where he and Lucien had lived, helping the people who resided there.

After everything [Name] had been through, he finally gathered the courage to face the past and return to Liyue. The hatred he once held for mortals had long faded, and he realized it was time to look back. He set aside his pride because, deep down, he knew he had been the one in the wrong in this story. He decided it was time to put an end to it.

But there was another reason he missed his old friends.

He missed Morax.

And so, [Name] returned to Liyue. He was amazed at how much the people had evolved. He remembered how they used to be, a small group living in the region. As he wandered through the city, his eyes scanned every detail, his tail swaying in excitement as he explored.

He got lost in the crowds of people coming and going through the city streets. After some time of wandering, he remembered the reason he had come back to Liyue in the first place: to learn more about the supposed death of the Geo Archon. Based on [Name]’s logic, the best place to find information was a crowded spot. He quickly glanced around and spotted a teahouse where a few people were gathered around tables, listening to a man speaking. [Name] made his way over and sat at one of the tables. The first thing he noticed was that the man speaking was a storyteller, recounting the adventures of the Adepti. [Name] smiled at the memories this brought back.

He became distracted, lost in the memories of those times. He had planned to ask the storyteller about the Geo Archon’s death, but suddenly he felt someone sit in the chair next to him. Out of instinct, he looked to see who it was, and when he saw, he froze.

“My little tiger, it’s been a while,” the man with brown hair said, a slight smile on his face.

“Morax...” [Name] whispered in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see him so soon.

“Well, that is my name, but I ask that you call me Zhongli from now on, my dear friend. How’s life? It’s been centuries,” Zhongli said as he began sipping his tea.

“It’s been so long... I wanted to apologize for disappearing...” The younger one spoke in a soft voice.

“Don’t worry, my little tiger. You needed your time.”

The two men continued their conversation, and it seemed as though the centuries of separation had no effect on them. They spoke as if they had never been apart, and over time, [Name] began to relax more and more in Zhongli’s presence. After a while, they left the teahouse,or rather, they left Liyue Harbor altogether,to continue their conversation in peace. As they talked, they caught up on everything they had missed about each other. [Name] told Zhongli about his life over the centuries and how his hatred for mortals had slowly faded. Zhongli, in turn, shared how Liyue had changed during that time.

Finally, their walk led them to the top of a mountain, offering a perfect view of Liyue Harbor. They both sat down on the edge of the mountain, enjoying the view.

“This scene brings back memories,” [Name] said with a small smile.

“Well, my friend, we used to do this regularly, centuries ago,” Zhongli said, gazing at the harbor below.

“Even though I tried to ignore it, I missed this. I missed you. I really missed you,” the young tiger boy said, looking at the other man, his ears lowered.

The man with amber eyes looked at the tiger boy for a moment, then gently held the younger one’s chin. After a brief pause, he pulled [Name] into a kiss. It was a soft, tender kiss, filled with the longing they both felt. During the kiss, Zhongli felt [Name]’s tail curl around his torso, pulling them even closer together. After a long, heartfelt kiss, they finally parted, and Zhongli spoke.

“My little tiger, believe me, I missed you too.”

[dairy-farmer]

Was thinking about what would happens if an author on Ao3 I loved died and their subscribed readers never knew why they stopped uploading. I mean it happens all the time for various reasons not just on Ao3 either. People grown out of interests. Life gets in the way or something as simple as getting locked out of an account.

There was that Stan ((maybe a swifty or Arianna fan on twitter maybe?!)) account that went to prison and posted to say they wouldn’t be active for a while a few years ago and everyone was joking about it. Or another example; that famous screenshot of a blog saying ‘ sorry I haven’t been posting I got diagnosed with bpd and I take meds now and I don’t like BTS anymore’ or something like that.

I just think it’s hilarious and Ao3 authors are kinda knows for being comically unbotherd. Like ‘sorry I didn’t upload this week, my house burnt down’. Or something that crazy. I know it’s a running joke but think it a great prompt for identify porn.

Like Tim as a huge Batman and robin fan with unsupervised internet access definitely had read and subscribed to all kinds or ao3 content. Maybe one of his fav Batman authors stops updating there ongoing fic randomly dispite having weekly uploads. Turns out the updates stopped the week Jason Todd died. Tim never figured it out or maybe he does or just has a hunch about it. No wonder he likes the writer so much they always had such an accurate depiction of the Batman and his dynamics with others. Tim liked that this author wrote Crackfics that put Batman in the stupidest situations, or wrote the most heartbreaking sentimental masterpiece about love and found family and robin and Batman’s dynamic 😍🥰😩

Either way I bet Jason never touched our thought about it again after comping back to life pretty much blocking it from his brain and pretending it never happened.

Tim on the other hand though about their work years and years later even after becoming robin would go back to that authors page and wonder what happened :(

//

Or later in life Tim being a writer/blogger/art account* with a big following and being alarmingliy honest when he updates his like;

‘sorry this is late :( got kidnapped again’

‘Not going to post next week bc I think someone is planning on bombing my school”

‘Update early today because I won’t be in a good mood later because I have to fire some people in a meeting this afternoon. Yes I’m a CEO’

‘Sorry ending this story because I’m depressed again bc my dad died. #officiallyanorphan’

‘Quick one shot that came to me in a fever dream while I was recovering from a stab wound’

*((obviously in the hero fandom, who are we kidding)the weirder and more obscure the better like he likes to draw Condiment King making out with different JL members. And exclusive writes batcest))

People LOVE his stuff and he gains fans anda reputation for posting very accurate and high quality stuff. People make fan pages and discussion his posts and works. His occult following notice he has a tendency to accurately predict things like Bane bomings and Arkham breakouts. They know he’s obviously a Gothomite and people like that they don’t know who he is. Either way he’s a Gotham legend in his own right.

Or maybe he has several different accounts non of them linked

I just love to imagine little Timmy becoming famous/gaining notorotiry in different ways over the year for different reason without people knowing it’s all the same person

He’s a child actor/model/ comercial baby 👼- (your au)

He’s an omen to criminals, a ghost a legend. A sighing of him means Batman is close by ((little Timmy with his camera running around at night)🥷 -(another of yours I think)

He gives anonymous tips to the GPD the news and the general public about rogue attacks to keep pls safe.🕵️‍♂️

ROBIN obviously. 🦸‍♂️

He’s a twitter art account 🧑‍🎨

Maybe has a porn account too! 🥴

A tumblr conspiracy theorist 🧑‍🏫

An Ao3 author 👨‍💻

Hes also Timothy Drake COE and Gothams youngest Bachelor 🕴️

He maybe even streams with his face covered on twitch or something stupid👾

All of these different identities have a huge fan base and no one ever knows that Tim is like famous 10 time over. Then he goes looking for Bruce after his ‘death’ and all his followers from separate fan bases are like :(((( oh no he probably died in a Gotham attack!! 😫😭 bc Gotham



so i actually do have an answer for the first part of your ask! there's such a thing as a fannish next of kin on ao3! where you can choose someone and they can get access to your account after you're incapacitated or pass away!

but tim becoming famous like a million times, some of which the family knows about and some of which they don't (like when he became the poster child for no man's and they're all so wild and different only a handful of people on the internet probably put it together. im also losing it at the idea of tim being known for 'predicting' things in gotham with his fics because it reminds me of this meme:

the idea that some fic author is managing to accurately predict bad things happening in gotham BEFORE they happen 😭 tim getting kidnapped because some shitty criminal was paying too much attention to fan forums and actually ended up believing the 'this fic author can see the future'. tim absolutely beats the shit out of them before anyone notices he's gone so it doesn't get discovered why he was kidnapped because he'd never live it down.

and the baby tim as a commercial/little tv star au!!❤️❤️❤️ i love that au so much but i can't take credit for it, it was actually created by orlovbats on twitter!!!!

also the tim as an omen also isn't mine- i don't think i recognize it either but the closest thing i found was this tumblr post so i think this is what you may have been thinking of?

i LOVE the thought that time never stopped being a fanboy- he just got better at hiding it because he knew he'd be teased ❤️!

[liillyliilly]

All Night Long

iwaizumi hajime x reader words; 1162 synopsis; the whole pen pal thing had been his mom's idea. now? he was glad that he had someone like her to tell everything to.

(So, if you just give me a chance, I can still show you romance)

Iwaizumi doesn’t quite remember when he started sending letters to Y/n. All he remembers is that his mom wanted him to diversify his communication skills, since he had only really ever talked to the boys on his volleyball team.

So, sending letters back and forth with a girl from Tokyo seemed like a rational solution to Mrs. Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi would send one letter one week and then she would send a letter the next one. And that’s how it had been for four years.

At first the letters were strictly professional. Asking about goals, academics, and life plans. Gradually, the shells of both Iwaizumi and Y/N were chipped away at. Divulging details of a bad kiss, or something hilarious a friend did. When she started to cut out classic memes, putting cardstock editions of volleyball player trading cards and writing out various links to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", Iwaizumi thought he met his almost heavenly match.

While she didn't play volleyball, she treated it like something special, and respected Iwaizumi's love for the sport. He felt proud when she acknowledged how much of a hard-worker he must have been to be ranked so highly in his prefecture with his team.

She also always knew what to write to him to help motivate him. Quotes from famous people never made an appearance, she just had the old soul wisdom to articulate exactly what needed to be said to him.

Iwaizumi does remember when he started to wait right next to the mailbox just so he could read her letter as soon as possible. And he does remember when it starts to take him longer than five hours to write a response. And he definitely remembers when Oikawa starts to tease him about his hobby.

“You actually write to her every week?” Oikawa holds up the basket that Iwaizumi keeps all of her letters in. Carefully they are sectioned off by year and then by month. He has written the date they arrived in the corner of the envelope so he can keep all of them organized. When Oikawa starts to pull out letters, Iwaizumi rips the basket out of his hands and holds it close to his chest.

“No, Shittykawa. It’s every other week.” Iwaizumi sides the basket under his bed before slumping back down into his beanbag.

Oikawa grins before sitting down on a chair opposite to Iwaizumi. “Have you ever thought about asking her for her number?”

“Why would I?”

“Because then you guys can talk, without having to wait two weeks before the other responds.” Oikawa shrugs pulling out his phone to mess around on it, eyes peeking out over his glasses to look at Iwaizumi. “Unless, of course, you're afraid.”

“I am not afraid.” Iwaizumi grabs his clipboard to start writing his response letter, her most recent letter sitting on his side table so he can reference it.

Except, this time, instead of a nice long handwritten letter, it’s a simple series of numbers. And a small phrase. “Text me?” Iwaizumi considers drawing a smiley face, or even just a small shrugging stick figure drawing. But he thinks that what he wrote is enough. He hopes it’s enough for her to contact him.

The walk to drop off the letter in his mailbox is agonizing. He retreats twice before his mom yells at him and tells him he needs to send it today or else the letter schedule will be all messed up. The thought of Y/N having to wait longer than seven days to get his letter suddenly becomes more of a worry than his potential rejection of swapping numbers.

On day one, the day after the mailperson picked up the letter, Iwaizumi's hands were perpetually sweaty.

On day two, Iwaizumi felt a little better, he could forget all about his pen pal and then it would be perfectly fine. Except he could never forget her.

Days three to six were a blur. His phone felt heavier each day, and he even decided to leave it home from school on day six because he kept looking at it for too long. Checking again and again for any new messages.

(I wanna get real close to you)

Iwaizumi almost faints when an unrecognized number sends the phrase, “I know who you are Hajime.” He grips at his heart before easing up when the next message is sent. “Because it's me! Y/n L/n.”

She sends him a lot of Godzilla memes. She talks about her day. She asks him about volleyball. She rants about the people she goes to school with. She is perfect to him.

His palms are sweaty as he wipes them onto his joggers as he stares at Y/n’s contact. The phone icon mocking him for his nervousness. He takes a deep breath. She had told him that she’s used to having her friends call her an obnoxious number of times, but that she likes talking on the phone because she likes hearing people’s voices. Iwaizumi leans back on his desk chair and runs his hands through his hair.

He had drank his mother's throat soothing honey lemon tea for at least a week leading up to his decision to call her. But the nerves about what his voice sounded like still irked him. He had been told that he had a rough voice by his friends. A dorky voice from Oikawa. A lovely voice by his mom. What would she think though? Her opinion was the only one that really mattered anyway.

He stands up and shakes his legs and hands in an effort to get rid of his anxiety. He jumps around in his room for a bit as he tries to get his energy out. Iwaizumi puts his hands on his face and reminds himself, calling people is normal. Totally and completely normal. But his reminder does nothing to ease how his right hand is shaking while it hovers over the call button.

He presses the button and hold his phone to his ear, biting down on his lip.

“Hello?” Y/n’s voice asks. And Iwaizumi’s heart races as it tries to find a way to ingrain her voice upon itself.

“Y/n! Hi, it's me Hajime!” He cringes when he realizes how alike he sounds to Oikawa. Enthusiasm didn’t fit the way he acted, but the way Y/n interacted with him made him want to be as keen as possible.

“Hajime! What’s up?” A large smile overwhelms his face as he rubs the back of his head.

Neither really knows how long they spent on the phone talking. But by the time it was around two in the morning, Y/n was snoring softly over the phone and Iwaizumi was breathing at an even pace with his phone sitting on his pillow close to his ear.

(All night long)

[dark-elf-writes]

So we’ve established that Dionysus being locked out of his most famous domain had effects on him and that’s why he’s Like That and now I’m thinking

Mr D, centuries into his penalty, locked away from wine and revelry practically rotting away wakes up one day feeling a little less like shit and a little more like how he used to with the whisper of a young boy in his ears and the taste of grapes on his tongue

It becomes a reoccurring thing

Every week, there’s a prayer towards one of his lesser known domains and the taste of grapes (one time even the taste of wine when the boy declared his name and oh how he missed tasting wine even if he couldn’t drink it)

He starts getting a bit better

Not a lot, the campers don’t notice, but Chiron does and so do his sons and wife when he is actually allowed to speak to them

It’s nice

He eventually meets the boy, and they don’t get along despite everything that remains unspoken between them. They’re too different and too similar at the same time to ever truly get along

But Dionysus keeps getting prayers and offerings, even more frequently and he keeps leaving anonymous gifts for the boy even as he threatens to turn him into a dolphin

Eventually, even if just for a short moment when the boy invokes his true name, he is able to actually look like himself again

(Ariadne, Castor and Pollux and feel some fondness for Percy because of the effect his prayers had on Mr D, the twins even become good friends with Percy)

Castor and Pollux being able to feel something of their dad around Percy from the moment he arrived at camp but not understanding why. At first they had assumed he would be claimed as their brother which would have been… weird as their dad never mentioned seeing any mortal mother than their mother recently but then he’s claimed by Poseidon and it’s even weirder.

They decide while Percy is gone that it doesn’t matter why he feels like their dad, the two of them are going to reach out when he comes back. They can’t just leave him alone and ignored. Not when their dad’s power seems to surround him at all times.

(Even if their dad looked more than a little pinch faced when they asked about it late at night when it was only the three of them tucked in a forgotten corner of the Big House. He claimed not to like Perseus Johnson but it didn’t escape either of the twins that their dad had gotten Percy’s first name right at least.

It also doesn’t escape their notice that their dad looks almost relieved when Percy returns to camp. Or that the feeling of their dad becomes more intense around Percy like he had been blessed or given something with their dad’s power.)

So they approach Percy with matching smiles and offers to train with him. They’re both small cabins. It only made sense for them to combine so they didn’t have to lose their slots to bigger cabins.

And it turns out they like Percy. He’s a good guy and seems to be the only person at camp that realizes they aren’t just there to make strawberries grow. He doesn’t flinch when they confide that Castor got some of their father’s skill in controlling madness. He walks with them through the strawberry fields and pushes them to become better fighters if only to keep up with him.

They are the ones who find him stumbling out of the woods and half dead when Luke betrays him and take turns sitting at his bedside until Percy is strong enough to go home for the school year.

He gave them their father back however unknowingly and more than that he is their best friend other than each other.

[miss-sweetea-pie]

A zutara rant about Aunt Wu’s prediction.

As a proud Zutarian I personally love the idea about aunt Wu’s prediction that she gave Katara about marrying a powerful bender is actually hinting at Zuko being the guy.

But I did see some antics mention “Zuko isn’t a powerful bender and it’s mentioned a lot that he’s not that good, they didn’t even think he was a fire bender bah bah”

First off that’s very rude!

So let’s over, analyze the fortune teller episode. Looking back on that episode we noticed that Aunt Wu’s predictions are technically accurate, but not always as they seem. this gets confirmed by the end of the episode and how that one man smugly tells Sokka that the prediction, said the village wouldn’t be destroyed and it wasn’t. Or that one guy having a safe trip and almost getting attacked by a platypus Bear but the gang saves him, technically, he still had a safe trip.

So the whole prediction is “ I see great romance for you the man you’re going to marry, he is a very powerful bender.” 

(technically that wasn’t actually the whole prediction, considering A.ang was eavesdropping  and well Kat@ang is all about A.ang and his feelings but I digress)

So the first half I guess is more about your taste in romance. I don’t think or feel like the canon kat@ang is this great epic romantic personality. But hey i’m willing to admit it could just be my taste. However the show does give us an example of a really powerful romances between Oma and Shu. In story lore of a romance that is so great it has been remembered for centuries and has a city named after them and ironically it has the famous enemies to lovers trope. hmm Interesting.

What I can defend though is the part that mentions “the man you will marry is a very powerful bender” you see A.ang it is a very powerful bender and once he is a fully realized avatar, he will probably be considered the most powerful bender. but like I pointed out Aunt Wu’s  predictions have a catch or they’re not always as you expect. And she said, A (not most) very powerful bender that could technically be anyone right? considering there are masters for all the different elements and being considered a master is still very impressive and seen as an accomplishment Even if you are not the avatar. So her future husband could be a possible Master. Adding the fact that most of the masters are old so this person could not even be fully realized yet, Insert Zuko.

So people mention that he isn’t that great of a bender or he’s not that powerful and yes, the show does mention that, but also who tells us that? Oh right. His dad the literal villain. The people that try to put him down tell him that he isn’t good enough. personally, I also think the show try to contradict that by showing us moments. for example in book one he did take down Zhao and showed him mercy. (when I watch the show, I think Zuko is actually holding back a lot of the time because he does have a consciences. his whole arc was kick started by him, having a conscience  and being empathetic so I don’t think it’s crazy to imagine him holding back a little). so when Ozai calls Zuko weak it’s kind of similar to how he calls A.ang weak in the finale. But no one questions A.ang not being a powerful bender. Hmmm weird.

Also, the other reason why I think Zuko being the one in the prediction is just better for the story is because the idea that you can become a powerful bender just feels so satisfying to me. In the show people still need to find masters and grow their skills. we are shown that people get better at things over time if they apply themselves. I think that’s a really good lesson. A similar lesson is already applied with Katara I may add, so it’s pretty fitting in a way.

Also the fact that he learns the true meaning of fire bending adds a nice layer of depth. it isn’t just about the skill of fire bending It’s also about the mindset. It really goes to show how he really has become a better and powerful bender in the end.

[allmoshnobrain]

𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 05 of ? | masterpost

word count: 2.7k

"You're all tense," you said, digging your thumb into his shoulder blade, feeling the tight muscle underneath. He let out a small grunt, rolling his shoulders, the muscles flexing under your touch. You sighed, biting your lip as your hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck, then down along his spine. His skin was softer than you'd expected, with little brown freckles scattered all over his back.

✦ warnings and tags: jason newsted x reader, age gap (23/38), no use of y/n, slow burn, grumpy/sunshine dynamics maybe?, reader has a backstory and it's kinda tragic, a bit of angst, eventual smut in future parts

Jason had never felt so inept before.

You had convinced him to stay. Of course you had. How could he deny you anything when you had asked him please so nicely, those helpless eyes looking up at him as he held you close?

He’d almost kissed you right then. He would have, if you weren’t so much younger, so innocent, so vulnerable. You were clearly starved for affection, an easy prey to anyone who’d give you just a bit of attention — not even love, but just a bit of care. 

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t be that heartless, taking things further and changing whatever was happening between the two of you. But he also couldn’t ignore the attraction he felt, the pull to stay close, to look after you. He didn’t even know why, except that you were kind, and obviously trying your best to navigate a tough situation in life. 

It almost felt like his world had gotten smaller since he’d come to this little town. And, bit by bit, he was starting to realize you were becoming the center of it. You made him weak with those doe eyes, that soft voice, and your damn kindness. Not to mention, he sure wasn’t blind to how beautiful you were either.

It used to be easy with women. Being famous, he never really had to try too hard to get a date, or get laid. He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this — helpless, restless, but stuck all the same. Because how could he even let himself think about you like that? You were young, way younger than him. It wouldn’t be fair for him to mess up your life with his baggage.

But knowing that didn’t make the unease in his heart any lighter.

He sighed, grabbing the paper bag of groceries as he stepped out of his car. After agreeing to stay, you’d offered to make lunch for the two of you. That meant a trip to the grocery store, but since you didn’t feel right going out after calling in sick at work, he ended up going on his own, leaving you his phone number in case anything came up while he was gone.

He stepped into your house, a small smile creeping onto his face as you got up from the couch. The little TV in the living room was tuned to the news, mostly talking about farming and local wildlife — typical small-town stuff.

“I’m back,” he said. “Sorry it took me a bit. Not exactly used to doing my own grocery shopping.”

“You’re not?” you laughed softly, checking out the stuff he’d picked up from the store. “What, did you have someone do that for you back in LA?”

“Something like that,” he grinned, leaning against the counter. “So, what’s for lunch?”

“Chicken pie,” you said right away. “I’ve been craving it for a while, but it’s one of those things that’s better when you have someone to share it with.”

Your answer made him smile, the corners of his lips tugging up as he watched you move around the kitchen, getting things organized. From where he stood, he could see the TV, the weather report saying it was going to be a hot weekend — the first warm one in a while. The whole scene was so simple and peaceful, it almost made him forget the whirlwind of thoughts he’d been having about you just a few moments before.

You looked happy, the usual tension easing out of your shoulders as you hummed quietly, grabbing pans and utensils like it was second nature. You were cutting up the chicken and veggies, mixing flour, butter, and water for the dough. It was kinda charming, and you were clearly in your element, slipping into your own little world while you cooked. Jason was content just watching you. It’s not that he didn’t want to help, but he also didn’t want to interrupt. Plus, he liked seeing how relaxed you seemed, especially after everything that had happened that morning.

“Weather report says it’s gonna be warm this weekend,” you said, a bit distracted while chopping up some carrots. “I was thinking I might hit the pool… spend Saturday at the Rec Club.”

“I could give you a ride,” Jason blurted out without thinking, which made you smile, your eyes bright as you looked up at him. He cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed at how quick he was to offer, like he was already used to it.

“You should come with,” you suggested, sounding hopeful. He smiled, shaking his head, which made you giggle. “Come on! It’s gotta be more fun than staying home all day.”

“How do you know I don’t have plans already?” he teased, and you laughed.

“I just know. Am I wrong? Got a date?” you asked, raising an eyebrow with a grin, and he laughed.

“No dates, sweetheart. I just don’t think a guy like me’s the best company for a day at the pool. I’m way too lazy.”

“But pools are made for lazy people!” you smiled. “You can just lay in the sun and get a tan. Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Alright, alright,” he chuckled. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll go.”

The next few hours flew by. You both enjoyed lunch together, but Jason wasn’t really in a hurry to leave — and it was pretty clear you didn’t want him to go, either. You seemed pretty set on finding ways to keep the day going, turning the small talk and easy laughs into something more. First, you roped him into playing some board games, and after a while, he spotted your old acoustic guitar — dusty and forgotten in the corner of your room. That’s when he offered to play you a few songs.

As the sunlight started to fade and night crept in through your windows, Jason knew it was time to head out. Not because he didn’t want to be there — quite the opposite. The more time he spent with you, the harder it was to leave. But he knew you had a busy work week coming up, and as nice as the day had been, you needed your rest. He wasn’t about to let his need to stick around keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.

That didn’t stop his heart from tightening with regret when he caught the look in your eyes as he said he had to go. He almost felt like promising he’d see you tomorrow, and if he wasn’t fully on board with hitting the Rec Club this weekend before, he definitely was now.

But you also knew it wouldn’t be fair to keep him all to yourself, even though a part of you really wanted to. So, as night settled in, Jason stood on your doorstep, and the two of you kept talking about nothing in particular. You rambled on about your work routine, about how fun the day had been. Anything to keep him there a little longer, and he was just as reluctant to leave.

The porch light buzzed quietly, with small bugs flicking around it as you both breathed in the cool night air. You looked up at him, smiling softly, letting out a little sigh because you knew it was pointless — he had to leave at some point, and you still needed to eat dinner and take a bath if you were going to get to bed early.

“Thanks for… well, everything,” you said quietly. “And sorry for keeping you here all day.”

“Don’t be. I had a good time,” he replied. You blushed, your breath catching a little when his hand wrapped around yours, pressing your open palm against his chest. He stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes locked on yours, taking in your flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips. “If you need anything, just give me a call, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you whispered back. He smiled, letting go of your hand, but the feeling of your skin lingered in his. “See you Saturday?”

“See you,” he whispered.

It was a quick walk back to his place. He unlocked the door and couldn’t help but smile when he looked up and saw you still on your porch. You waved at him, a sweet smile on your face before heading inside your house.

He stood there for a moment, his gaze sticking on your door long after you were gone.

The rest of your week flew by in a flash. 

You couldn’t wait for Saturday. Sure, it had been forever since you last went to the Recreation Club as a member, and finally going back to that special place from your childhood had you feeling pretty excited — but you couldn’t deny a lot of that restlessness had nothing to do with any past connections, but from that spark of something new that had appeared in your life: Jason.

It felt almost feverish, how you couldn’t wait to see him again, to hear his voice, or make him laugh that soft laugh. You almost couldn’t believe you’d only known each other for a few days; the way he was there, always present, almost made it feel like you’d known each other your whole life. 

Maybe it was because Ethan hadn’t been in the picture since that Tuesday morning. Maybe it was the way Jason had driven you around, the small talk and easy smiles, embraced by the soft tunes playing from the radio. Maybe it was his jawline, his steel blue eyes, his soft brown hair and the way his forehead scrunched up when he was focused. Maybe it was all of that, and how safe he made you feel that had your mind stuck on him all the time, finding it hard to focus on anything else than your little date — you knew it wasn’t exactly a date, but you still got butterflies like it was.

You woke up earlier than usual on Saturday to get everything ready: packed your bag with sunscreen, flip-flops, and towels, and whipped up a jar of fresh coffee along with some eggs and bacon for breakfast. It wasn’t long before you heard a couple of soft knocks on the door, and you dashed from the kitchen to the hall, opening it with a nervous smile that quickly turned excited when you saw Jason standing there, right in front of your door.

You greeted Jason with a cheerful "Good morning" and offered him breakfast, noticing the way his eyes softened and that little smile tugging at his lips.

“Good morning, kid,” he said, before stepping inside. You walked with him to the kitchen, setting up plates for a quick breakfast. It was hard to sit still with how excited you were, chatting happily while you both ate, already thinking about the pool, the cold water making your skin shiver, and the warmth of the sun over your whole body.

After you finished, you hopped into Jason’s truck, and soon, a soft country song floated through the air, the windows rolled down to let in that crisp morning breeze. You smiled, humming along as he drove.

The pool area was quiet for a weekend, which was a bit weird. Maybe it was still too chilly for most people to come out, or maybe it was just too early. Besides a couple of kids splashing around and a couple chatting near the shallow end, the place was practically yours. You and Jason picked out a couple of lounge chairs, setting your stuff down as the soft breeze danced across the water.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, heading off to the changing rooms. “Want me to grab you a drink while I’m at it?”

“Whatever you're getting is fine,” you grinned, and he shot you a smile before disappearing inside. You didn’t need to change, though — you were already wearing your bikini under your clothes. So, you just peeled off your shirt, staying in your denim shorts while you dug through your bag, searching for your sunscreen.

He came back just as you were rubbing in your sunscreen, shirtless with a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose, backpack slung over one shoulder, and a couple bottles of beer in hand. You tried not to let your eyes linger too long — not on his abs, or the soft trail of hair that led down to the waistband of his gray board shorts.

“Brought beer,” he said, dropping into the chair next to yours. “Isn’t your friend around today?”

“Sophie?” you asked, and he nodded. “Nah, she doesn’t work weekends.” You fiddled with the sunscreen bottle, biting your lip, feeling a little too shy to ask if he’d help you with your back.

“You want help with that?” he asked, as if reading your mind, and you looked up to meet his gaze. You could see the kindness in his eyes, mixed with an intensity that made your stomach flutter. 

“Sure,” you nodded. He gestured for you to come closer, and you stood up, moving to the edge of his chair. He set his beer down on the side table and grabbed the sunscreen bottle.

You tried to keep your eyes on the pool water, listening to the kids laughing nearby — anything to distract yourself from the way his rough hands felt on your back, making your breath come a little quicker. He was careful, almost like he was taking his time, his hands massaging your skin slowly. First, he worked on the base of your neck, then your shoulder blades, and finally, your back.

You could feel your skin heating up as his right hand slid down your spine to your waist, while the other rested gently there, holding you steady. You could practically feel how close he was, warm and big, as his fingertips brushed against the hem of your denim shorts for just a second before he pulled away with a soft sigh.

“There,” he said, his voice a little rough. You turned to look at him, your cheeks still flushed, and your heart did a little flip when you saw how close he was. He leaned back on the lounge chair, his blue eyes darkened by his dilated pupils, and you didn’t miss how he checked you out slowly before his gaze returned to your face.

“Thanks,” you whispered, relieved that your voice came out steady. You let out a soft sigh, trying to gather yourself before asking, “Do you want me to put some on your back, too?”

He chuckled softly, the intensity fading from his eyes as they softened a bit.

“I wasn’t really planning on slathering on sunscreen, sweetheart.”

“You’re gonna end up with skin cancer, old man,” you shot back, raising an eyebrow and giggling. He huffed.

“Don’t call me that, kid.”

“Don’t call me kid, then. Now turn around,” you ordered playfully, and he sighed, pretending to be annoyed as he shifted in his chair to face away from you. 

You rubbed some sunscreen into your hands, feeling the heat from his skin as you pressed your palms against his broad shoulders.

"You're all tense," you said, digging your thumb into his shoulder blade, feeling the tight muscle underneath. He let out a small grunt, rolling his shoulders, the muscles flexing under your touch. You sighed, biting your lip as your hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck, then down along his spine. His skin was softer than you'd expected, with little brown freckles scattered all over his back.

You finished rubbing in the sunscreen with a soft sigh, realizing your face felt warm. As soon as you were done, he turned to face you, his blue eyes catching the sunlight as his gaze fixed on yours, then dropped to look at your softly parted lips.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice a low rumble as he took the sunscreen bottle from your hands. "I can handle the rest. Unless you wanna keep helping me?" he joked, which made you snap out of whatever spell he had you under. You giggled softly.

"I think you’ve got it covered," you teased back. "I’m gonna grab us another drink."

You stood up, collecting the empty beer bottles and heading over to the pool’s bar, not missing the feel of his eyes on your back as you walked away, your heart still racing from the way his skin felt under your touch.

taglist: @jameshettywetty

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[elvenbeard]

Maybe the biggest gift is the friends we made along the way 🎂

Happy Birthday, V!

Was staying up way too late and getting way too emotional over these fictional gonks last night, but yes... I've wanted to do a bigger scene like this for so long, and what better occasion than male V's canon birthday today!

These aren't all my favourites from the game (the sofa wouldn't be big enough for it xD), but the people Vince would like to invite over for the occasion for sure, let it be a year or two down the line when they all actually are in the same area at the right time and come together like this (and uuuhhh... obvious problems with one certain ex-bodyguard set aside and solved because I said so!). It would really be a special thing to have everyone there that's been with him during one of the worst times of his life. Thanks to them (amongst many others) he even gets the chance to celebrate another birthday.

Some more ramblings about some of the interactions I'm picturing here and why I placed everyone the way I did under the cut xD And some more pics to come in a separate post later :3

Front and center obviously Vince and Kerry and Judy, my faves, my loves <3 I think this would probably be one of only a handful of times Kerry ever meets Judy in person. He only ever hears her over the holo and knows her from what V told him, because she left Night City before they got a chance to meet prior to the game's endings. I think they would go along so well though, and besides Kerry, Judy is the person Vince feels closest to out of the group pictured here, and he'd be so excited to know Kerry and her get along as well.

Then Judy and Panam... I lowkey ship it so hard, and I mean, they would make one power couple, but at the very least I think they'd become good friends, maybe Judy even travels with the Aldecaldos for a while or joins them, like in the Star ending when she's romanced.

I put River in the back and center cause he's the biggest of the bunch and I think he'd love being there, watching over everyone in a way (and keeping an eye on Takemura, cause he doesn't trust him xD). I'd like to think him and Viktor get talking about boxing, workouts, maybe make plans for a friendly sparring match. Maybe they've even met before on some occasion, only just realizing it now. Viktor is btw out of the whole bunch the person Vince has know the longest, almost as long as he knew Jackie in my background story for him.

Goro keeps himself in the back because he definitely is the odd one out of the bunch (probably didn't wanna come in the first place), but maybe he's starting to realize this moment that a life without Arasaka is not the end of the world after all. That there's always room for new beginnings, no matter how unlikely it seems (but he's still gonna give V shit, and V is gonna give him shit, obviously XD they're bickering like an old couple probably, much to Judy's and Panam's amusement who previously were rather wary of Goro).

Then a pair I only really got thinking about when I set this up were Misty and Kerry because... It does kinda make sense, and I think they'd get along really well? Like, Vince and Misty have known each other for a few years, and he likes her a lot, but he's not as close to her as he was to Jackie for example. She was definitely a positive guidance throughout the whole mess in 2077, and he really appreciates her for always seeing the good in everything. And I think Kerry would be a bit confused about her in the beginning, but since he also has spiritual leanings I think they'd find a lot of common ground. I also think Misty would just treat him as Vince's partner, some guy, not be all in awe about him being famous - aware of it, but ignoring it, because it does not matter in the grand scheme of things how rich and famous you are but whether or not you're a decent human being.

And Nibbles is there because she lives there, obviously, this is her penthouse, her sofa xD Needs to make sure everyone behaves!

I had been thinking about including Rogue in the scene, but then I also thought... she probably wouldn't come xD Be like "nah kid, thanks, but you do you", and she's not that close with Vince on a personal level. Same goes for Claire, I love her so much, and while I think she and Vince get along very well, they're not as close (or maybe she just didn't have time).

I was pondering also if I wanted to include Jackie and Johnny in some way, because they can't be there physically for known reasons (and even though Vince wouldn't have invited Johnny just to annoy him, Johny would have come anyway to annoy him back, so there's that XD). Decided against it in the end because the ideas I had would have meant more editing than what I was ready to do just now, but I have some more ideas with Vince and Jackie and Johnny that work better in a different setting anyway.

if you've read this far, here's a piece of birthday cake 🍰